Not Alone
by emilyherself
Summary: Kat Hammond is just a normal, sixth year girl, until she becomes friends with Hermione Granger. As they embark on the quest for the Horcuxes with Harry and Ron, she tries to prove to them all they are not alone.
1. Chapter 1

The summer had passed far too slowly. I couldn't wait to get back to school.

Luckily, today was the first day of September, and by tonight, I would be back in the familiar castle. As I looked around my pale blue bedroom, I made note of a few more things that needed to be thrown in my trunk before getting ready to go into London. A glance to my watch told me I had about two hours left before I would depart.

My boyfriend, Adam, would come to get me. He was a year older than me, and could Apparate, so I wouldn't need to Floo or use Muggle transportation. I had suffered through enough subway rides this summer to last a life time and was so grateful he would come get me.

I heard the sounds of someone running up the stairs next to my bedroom, and my door opened. My thirteen year old step-sister stood there. "Mum says if you want to eat anything before you leave, you'd better get it now," she said. She was only half dressed for school, her pajama pants definitely did not belong to the strict uniform that her school enforced. Luckily, neither she nor her sister Madeline would be following me to Scotland today. They were both Muggles.

My Dad had left for his job at the Ministry of Magic hours ago, the noise he had made leaving had woken me up at a ridiculously early time today. He hadn't come to say goodbye, but I expected he had left me a note downstairs.

"Thank you," I told Cecelia, and got up off of my bed.

I trudged down the stairs and into the kitchen, where my stepmother, Vera, was sitting. Although she had been my stepmother practically my whole life, I wasn't close to her at all. I thought she was rude and superficial. She did not like me or my older brother, Robert, very much. I suspected it was because we, like our father and mother, were magical and a reminder that our mother existed before her.

"Breakfast's on the stove," she said, without looking up from her magazine. I looked to the stove, and found a muffin sitting there.

I picked it up, but knew better than to eat it without sitting down at the table. I grabbed a glass of orange juice and sat at my spot at the table. A letter from Dad was waiting for me, and I picked it up.

I saw that he had sealed it with a wax stamp, which made me smile. Whenever I got a letter that was sealed with wax, I knew it was from my father. Breaking the seal, I opened it.

_Dear Katherine,_

_I am sorry you were not awake when I left, but the Minister called an urgent meeting this morning so I could not wait around. However, I do want to wish you a very successful Year Six at Hogwarts. I know that you will do brilliantly as always. You are just like your mother was in that regard, dedicated and talented with your studies. I am sure you will take this year as a break from the heavy testing of last year and enjoy it._

_I have left your Hogsmeade Permission Slip, signed, along with hopefully enough money to tie you over until the Christmas Holidays, on the desk in my office. Also there, you will find a gift from your brother._

_I hope you will write when you get settled and let me know how your year is going. Enjoy your year and I will see you during the Christmas Holidays._

_Love,_

_Dad_

I slipped it back into the envelope in made a mental note to make sure I got my things out of his office.

"What did your father have to say?" Vera asked. She was a very nosy woman, which was probably my biggest pet peeve.

"Just wishing me well for the year," I told her. She didn't need to know the specifics from me.

She stood up, and her shoes made a clicking noise as she walked across the kitchen. "Well, I've got to get the girls to school and get to the cafe. Goodbye, Katherine," she said. There was no warmth in her voice. I was so happy that I only had one more summer living here, because it was awful. I couldn't wait to move out next year. I would probably move in with Adam, as he was planning on getting a flat in the city.

Once she was gone, I felt much happier. I turned on the radio and put the volume on as high as it would go so that I could hear the music wherever I was in our large house. Dad made a lot of money at his job for the Ministry, and Vera owned a very successful cafe in the city. They lived a pretty luxurious lifestyle.

In Dad's office, I found my things. The signed Hogsmeade Permission Slip, a few hundred Galleons of spending money, for anything I might need in the next few months, and a gift from my brother. I opened up the cloth bag, and found that he had given me a good amount of candy and other treats from Honeydukes. That was where his current girlfriend worked, and it was a definite bonus. I took one chocolate frog from the bag and ate it on my way back up to my bedroom.

I finished up packing my trunk, dragged it downstairs, and waited for Adam. He was always running a few minutes late, so I just sat on the couch. I was so happy to be returning to Hogwarts. I was pretty sure that Hogwarts was the best thing that had ever happened to me. I loved all of my classes. It gave me the perfect distraction when I needed it. I didn't have a ton of friends, but I had enough. And it was where Adam was, which made it so much better.

Finally, about fifteen minutes after he was supposed to get there, there was a knock on the door. I knew it was him, because no one else was supposed to come today. I reacted to the fact that he was waiting for me outside with a sense of giddiness. I could not wait to see him. I hadn't seen him in almost a month because we had both been so busy. My family had taken a vacation to Spain for two weeks, he had been away visiting family, and we both had summer jobs. But now we could be together every day, which made me very happy.

I opened the door and grinned when I saw him standing there. He was a lot more tan and his hair was longer than it had been last time I saw him, but he looked great. He immediately pulled me close to him so he could kiss me.

"I missed you, Kat," he told me as he hugged me tightly.

"It's so great to see you," I told him, burying my face in the crook of his neck. "How are you?"

"Great," he told me. "And as much as I love to be here with you... we really need to get going. I'm sorry I was late."

I had gotten so used to it by now that it didn't matter to me when he was late. I knew it was not that I was not his priority, it was just how his Hufflepuff brain worked. "No worries," I told him. Nothing could wipe the grin off of my face right now.

He Side-Along Apparated me with my trunk to the train station. It was exciting to be here because I completely associated Kings Cross Station with going back to school. We carried our stuff to Platform Nine, and disappeared discreetly into the hidden platform.

All around us were families who were sad to see their children going. I could always tell who the first years were because they always looked so small and worried. After making our way through a crowd of anxious mums and lots of trunks, we boarded the train. Neither of us had family here. His parents were divorced and it was really messy. He spent most of his time living at his grandparents' house. But it was nice to have each other. We had been dating since about the beginning of the second term last year, and I trusted him more than anyone else.

"I can't believe it's your last first day of school," I told him, holding his hand even tighter as he led me further into the train as we searched for the perfect compartment.

He just shrugged. "I'm trying not to dwell on it," he said. I knew this was because he had no idea what he wanted to do with his life. The last I had actually been able to get him to talk about his future, he was hoping to get recruited into Quidditch. He was the star seeker of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, and I was so proud of him. He was really the only thing we had going for us. His grades weren't fantastic, so he couldn't really have a backup plan of being an Auror or a Healer. At best, he could hope for some entry level Ministry position. It wasn't so bad. That was how my father started, and now he ran a whole department.

Finally, we came to a compartment that he approved of. He stowed our trunks and we settled in. I knew his best friend, Geoff, was likely to join us at some point, and Adam would have to leave for his Prefect duties in a few, but for now I took advantage of us being alone by curling up in his lap.

"I missed you," he told me, leaning in to kiss me.

But the door slid open and his friend Geoff came in. Geoff was a loud and, to me, obnoxious seventh year. I didn't like him very much, but he was Adam's best friend so I had to put up with him.

I slid into my own seat as they caught up. I watched out the window as crying mothers got waved to their children. A quick glance at my watch confirmed that we were leaving in another minute, which meant that Adam would soon leave me alone with Geoff. I dreaded this happening. I knew that I was being clingy, but felt that after not seeing Adam for a few weeks, I was justified.

"I should go do my Prefect duties," he told me. I could see reluctance in his eyes, and knowing that he felt the same about leaving me made me feel better. I was sure there was something I could do to fill the time while he was gone.

At first, Geoff tried to talk to me. I made polite small talk, but had no desire to discuss exactly how many girls he had shagged this summer while visiting his brother in Romania. It just wasn't something that interested me really.

I pulled out a book I had been reading just do ease myself back into the mindset of school. It was on Potion theory, which was one of my favorite topics. I found it so interesting that I could throw the right ratios of certain ingredients into a cauldron, let it simmer over heat for a few hours, and have a useful product in the end. Seeing my book made Geoff pretty much shut up, and eventually he went off in search of some food off the Trolley.

The compartment door slid open, which caused me to sit up and see who could possibly want anything. The train had been moving for a while now, so it wasn't someone looking for a seat. And it was too soon for either Adam or Geoff to be back.

I didn't know her name, but I remembered she was in her second or third year at Hogwarts. If I recalled correctly, she was a Gryffindor.

"Hello?" I asked, confused as to why she was here.

"Katherine Hammond?" she asked.

"Kat," I corrected her. Katherine was a lovely name that had far too many syllables to be practical. "Yes?"

"I'm supposed to give you this," she told me. She handed me a piece of parchment tied with a purple string. This piqued my interest. I was about to ask her what it was, but before I could, she was gone.

Using my nail, I loosened the ribbon and unrolled it. It read

_Miss Hammond,_

_I would be delighted if you would join me for a bite to eat in Compartment C. Your reputation of being skilled with Potions precedes you, and I would love to get acquainted._

_Sincerely,_

_Professor Horace Slughorn_

_Professor of Potions_

This certainly intrigued me. I had no idea we were even getting a new Potions professor, but I could not deny the idea excited me. Snape tolerated me, based solely on the fact I was at the top of my class. I was excited by this new professor's warm first impression. No thought was required; I knew I would go join him.

I decided first to get changed into my school uniform, however. I didn't know how long I would be with Professor Slughorn and wanted to make sure I was in my uniform when we arrived at Hogwarts. We were already an hour into our journey north.

As I got changed, I wondered how many other people had received an invitation from Professor Slughorn. I tried to think about who was in my Potions class. Based on the O I had received on my O.W.L.S. In Potions, I was in an advanced class. I knew Hermione Granger would be in the class, as she was the smartest girl in our year, though Potions was not her strongest point. Snape definitely played favorites, so there were many Slytherins in our class. I decidedBlaise Zabini, Draco Malfoy, and Theodore Nott probably had gotten invitations as well. I wasn't friends with any of them, especially not the Slytherins, but I did not want to reject such a nice invitation.

After adjusting my knee socks and brushing me hair, I was ready to set off. Seeing as I had sat down in Compartment Q, I figured it might take me awhile to get back up to C. As I walked, I looked out the window and admired the countryside.

This year seemed to be off to a very good start. I was so glad to be back.

**Author's Note: Here's chapter one of my new story! Let me know what you think. Thanks to my beta, potter-reading-coastie, for all the help with this story so far. Thanks everyone!**


	2. Chapter 2

After making my way to the compartment, I noticed I was not the only one who had been invited. At first, my excitement deflated a bit, but I thought that was only reasonable to expect that he would wish to meet other students. From the compartment's window, I could recognize a few people. Ginny Weasley sat on one of the seats, looking a bit bemused. I didn't think that she was great at potions, but as she was neither in my House or my year, it would have been understandable if I had not known.

I finally got the courage to put my hand on the door knob and enter.

"You must be Miss Hammond?" the man who I assumed was Professor Slughorn asked. I took a moment to take all of him in before nodding. He was a large man, and older than I had expected as well. His head bald head was shiny. He had a dark blue cloak on, and wore a three piece suit that was the oddest color of purple, with bright red pinstripes. The man screamed of eccentricity.

"Yes," I said, extending my arm to shake his hand. I felt like I may have been late, considering there were only two empty seats in his compartment.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," he said, his hand shake was firm. "I've heard only fantastic things about your skills in potions from you professors."

I tried to quickly think of something humble to say, but just smiled when I couldn't think on the spot. Thinking on the spot was not my strong spot, which was probably why I wasn't good at things like Defense Against the Dark Arts or Charms. I liked Potions because it forced me to use my brain and make decisions on a time line I had control over. "That's very nice," I said, and felt awkwardly. The other few people who sat in the compartment, eating finger sandwiches, were all watching me.

I took an empty seat next to Ginny Weasley, because I didn't wish to sit next to any of the boys from Slytherin.

"You know everyone, I presume?" he asked.

I nodded, quickly, even though that was probably a lie. I quickly glanced around the room and everyone looked vaguely familiar, so it would be okay. I played with a loose thread on the bottom hem of my skirt out of nervousness. "We were just discussing last June's occurrence at the Ministry, which these three were right in the middle of-" he waved his hand, and I took another glance at who he was pointing out. Other than Ginny Weasley, it was Neville Longbottom, and Harry Potter.

Of course he was here. Everyone loved "the Chosen One" and apparently Professor Slughorn wasn't any different. He wasn't really good at Potions, but by judging from my peers, I could see that it didn't really matter if they were good.

"It really wasn't that big of a deal," Harry said, trying to slink into his seat. It made me feel better than he didn't really want to be there put on a pedestal like always.

"I had the fortune of teaching both of your parents, Katherine," he said.

"Oh?" I asked.

"Your mother grew to be a fantastic Naturalist," he told me. "During her years in school, she could always be found in the greenhouses. Always had a surplus of fantastic potions ingredients while she was here. Your father... I remember a very unfortunate incident with him in my N.E.W.T.S. Level class... I don't think he came to class for a week- took him that long to regrow all the hair on his head. I heard that your mother was working on a book when she died. How tragic her death was!"

I didn't like to talk about her death very much. It was sad, but luckily I had been too young to actually remember it. Dad hated talking about it, so I didn't know a lot about her death, or really all that much about her. I had grown up without a mother figure and I knew it was something that affected me a lot. I certainly didn't consider Vera motherly to me at all. "It was," I said, remembering that I was surrounded by my peers and a professor it would do well to impress.

"But I am sure she would be proud of you. And your father, of course, now Head of the Department of Magical Transportation!"

I just nodded. Dad was very successful at the Ministry. He had started at a low position and worked his way up. I had to talk about him a few more minutes before Slughorn moved on to someone else's influential relatives that he had taught.

It got boring quickly. I was really disappointed that this man seemed so obsessed with the rich, famous, and influential, when I had thought that he was genuinely interested in my talent. It felt like I would be locked in the compartment forever, suffering a miserable diet of finger sandwiches and having to hear about someone's uncle. I wanted to rejoin Adam in our compartment, surely he was done with his duties by now, but I couldn't find a polite way to get out of there.

Finally, after what felt like forever, he let us go. I knew we were nearly in Hogsmeade by now, but I didn't care, I wanted out. He had left us all with an invitation to drop by "whenever." I had a feeling that for most of those who had been there, "whenever" meant never.

When I was able to get back to Compartment Q, I could see that Adam looked a bit cross. He was playing Exploding Snap with Geoff, which was one of his favorite past times, but I could tell that he was angry.

"I'm so sorry," I told him, sliding the compartment door shut behind me.

"Where have you been?" he asked.

"I'm sorry," I repeated. "I got invited to meet the new Potions professor while you were both gone, I couldn't pass it up."

"Hmph," he said. I hated when he was like this, but it was so rare and he had so many other great qualities. I knew he was only being like this because he missed me and wanted to spend time with me and hadn't known where I had disappeared to, so he had probably worried.

"I'm sorry," I said, for the third time. I sat down next to him, and wrapped my arms around him. I knew this would help melt his anger away.

He won the game, and then they put the cards away. Geoff went to change, giving us a few moments alone. "I overreacted," Adam told me.

"Don't worry about it," I told him, grabbing his hand. "I know you were just worried about me."

He nodded, and leaned in to kiss me. We embraced until Geoff got back, and by then we were pulling in to Hogsmeade. I was glad he had shed his bad mood, because I was excited to be back to school.

We road in a carriage from Hogsmeade to the castle, and joined the Feast.

~.~

Of course, the feast was delicious. There was plenty of food, and I left there feeling as though I had eaten enough for a week. And there were quite a few new Hufflepuffs, which was exciting.

It was great to see everyone. Even though I didn't have many close friends, after not seeing my classmates for a few months, I was happy to catch up with them. Hannah Abbott had gotten a new kitten, and we spent some time playing with him by the fire in the Common Room after dinner.

Adam had gone off for a meeting for Quidditch. He was Captain of the Hufflepuffs, and a really great Seeker. While he had started as a Chaser, he had moved to fill in as a Seeker when Cedric had died a few years ago. He was a really great Seeker. There was even some talk of Hufflepuff having a chance at the Cup this year, which made me so proud of him.

"Did you have a nice summer, Hannah?" I asked her.

"Yeah, I did," she said. "I worked at The Leaky Cauldron for most of it, so I made a lot of money. And my family went on vacation to the sea side for a week, which was lots of fun."

I smiled. I did like Hannah. She was definitely shy, but when she got talking she was very nice. Once Adam got back, I hung out with him again, before turning in early. Classes would start tomorrow, and a good night's sleep would serve me well.

At breakfast the next morning, we received our schedules. Professor Sprout seemed pleased to hand me mine and told me she looked forward to having me in her Herbology class. I had received Outstanding grades on my Potions, Herbology, and Muggle Studies O.W.L.s.

My schedule included Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology before lunch, and Transfiguration and Muggle Studies after lunch on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I had a long Potions class before lunch. Astronomy met on Friday nights, once a week, which gave me Tuesday and Thursday afternoons off. This seemed like the perfect schedule. On Tuesdays, my free time aligned with Adam's free time, which made me really happy. Overall, it seemed like it was going to be a good year.

Classes started the next day, and there was no delay in assigning us homework. I was in N.E.W.T. Level classes now, which seemed to be considerably harder. A few of my classes were for things I did not really need- namely, Transfiguration and Muggle Studies. They would not help me in a year when I went to find an Apothecary to work for. I had discussed with my father the idea of going into Potions research, either with St. Mungo's Hospital or the Department of Mysteries. I knew he strongly wanted me to work for the Ministry like he did, but I wasn't sure that was the direction for me. It was too secretive. I did not like the idea of having a job that consumed my life in the way. Running an Apothecary seemed like something I would enjoy a lot more.

But I had another year to dwell on my future before I had to make a solid decision, thankfully.

I had been a student of all of my teachers before, though Snape was teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts this year. That was an interesting change, I thought. He seemed like he would be a good teacher. I didn't like his personality, but I didn't hate him with the same ferocity of most of my classmates. I did, however, hate the amount of homework we left class with, so I spent that night in the library, trying to get work done, and looking forward to tomorrow's Potions lesson.

Even though Slughorn had disappointed me on the train, I still held hope for his classes. After all, he had been the Potions teacher here before, and Dumbledore wouldn't have brought him back if he wasn't a good teacher.

Tuesday morning, I was pleased to find my class was nice and small. I knew there would only be about ten people in the class. The dungeon felt familiar to me, and I was happy to see cauldrons at every table, already churning with a potion. Four Slytherins were sitting at one table, and four Ravenclaws were at another. I decided to take a seat at the empty table, and began to set up my scales and book.

I was overwhelmed with the scent of the potion at our table. Immediately, I recognized it as Amortentia, which smelled like what was attractive to us. To me, it smelled like the clean, crispness of Adam's soap, the lemongrass stuffed satchels my grandmother gave me that made my trunk smell nice, and the smell of earth after a thunderstorm. It was easy to succumb to the effects of the potion. My head felt light, and my hands, closest to the steam from the potion, began to tingle.

Hermione Granger walked in, and took a seat next to me. I had never really had a conversation with her before, despite being in some of the same classes. She nodded at me as she began to set up her things. I watched as the effects of Amortentia hit her: her eyes became glassy and she stopped setting up. It took her a moment to clear her mind. She pulled at her collar, trying to recover.

"Amortentia," I whispered to her, pointing to the cauldron.

She looked at me, a little startled. "Oh, good," she said. "I thought I was going a bit mad."

Slughorn started class a few minutes later, and began with a discussion of the potions that were at our tables.

He was interrupted, however, by Harry Potter and his friend, Ron Weasley, coming in to class late. "I'm sorry, sir," he said. "There was some confusion with the scheduling. Professor McGonagall wanted me to give you this."

Slughorn took a moment to read the note from McGonagall and nodded. "No problems, then, Harry, m'boy, you two go grab what you need from the store cupboard and get seated. We're discussing Amortentia."

The clanked around in the storage cupboard for a few minutes before finally taking their seat at our table. Hermione continued to educate the class on the potions we had in front of us today.

"Amortentia smells different to all of us, because it smells like what we are attracted to. It should make us feel infatuated, but it's a very superficial infatuation."

Slughorn seemed impressed by Hermione's knowledge, which redeemed him in my eyes. He was not looking for purely people with connections. He awarded her twenty points after she identified the potions.

"And this, our last potion today, is Felix Felicis." he said, waving a hand in front of the cauldron. The liquid inside of it was golden and beautiful. I had never seen this potion before, but it excited me. It was liquid luck.

"Liquid luck!" I said.

"Miss Hammond, I take it you know what this does?" Slughorn asked.

"It makes you... lucky." I told him.

"Ten points to Hufflepuff," he said. I beamed, feeling successful. "Although it's a difficult potion to brew, it has a great effect. Anything you attempt while under its effect will succeed, at least while you've got it in your system."

"So why don't people take it all the time?" one of the Slytherin boys asked.

"Adverse side effects," Slughorn replied, "mainly recklessness. And it's toxic in large doses. But in the right amount and context, it can be a wonderful experience. And one of you will get to experience it."

There was a change in the air of the classroom. Suddenly, we all cared. We wanted this potion. He held up a tiny bottle of it. "Twelve hours of luck for whoever brews the best Draught of Living Death. We're got about two hours left in this lesson, which should be enough time for you to make good progress. I'm not expecting perfection, merely good effort. You may begin."

We all scrambled to collect our ingredients and get it going. There was a definite sense of competition in the classroom. It was a really difficult potion, though, especially considering I hadn't brewed anything more complicated than a simple pain relieving potion since June.

Hermione struggled with it more than I did, which gave me hope. Before we had begun, I had considered her my biggest competition, but she was very frustrated and her potion had begun to turn a very awful, dark color, not unlike tar.

I tried to do the best I could, and in the end, I had a frothy pale concoction. Hermione's was hopeless, and Ron was swearing constantly at his potion, as if that might revive it. I was nervous as Slughorn made his way around the classroom, peering in to our cauldrons. The wide array of scents and colors of the potions surprised me, but I guess it was a good indicator of just how tough the potion had been to make. There were so many ways to go wrong.

Slughorn had given my potion a long glance, and nodded approvingly. I thought that I had secured the bottle of Felix Felicis, when he got to Harry Potter's cauldron.

"Most definitely the winner!" Slughorn cried.

I was taken by surprise. I did not expect Harry to win. I had been too focused on my potion to pay attention to him, as I had immediately written him off as a non-competitor. But after glancing in his cauldron, his potion was definitely the best. I took a deep sigh and swallowed my resentment. He had honestly brewed the better potion; I couldn't fault him for that.

I sighed and collected my things. I may not have won today, but that was all right, really. It was a challenging class that would reward me eventually. I just wanted eventually to start soon.

**Author's Note: Wow! You guys blew me away with all the response on the last chapter. Keep it up! Here's chapter two, chapter three should be up soon :) Thanks to potter-reading-coastie for being an awesome beta :) Please let me know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

It didn't take long for school to be in full swing. Classes were going well, we were getting plenty of homework, and Adam was beginning Quidditch. He seemed really pleased with his team this year, and they practiced three nights a week. It was a lot, but after watching them practice, it was clearly paying off. I was proud of him. I looked forward to the first Hogsmeade weekend, which was quickly approaching, and the first Quidditch game was after that.

He was in a bad mood outside of Quidditch though. He wasn't enjoying his classes very much. I knew that he was under a lot of pressure from his family to figure out what, exactly, he was doing with his life. He just didn't know. His grades were okay, but nothing spectacular. He could probably get into St. Mungo's Healer program if he wanted, but he didn't. If he worked really hard during the first term, he might be able to get himself into the Aurors. But it wasn't something that he was interested in. He didn't have a class he loved, like I had Potions. His passion was Quidditch, but he hadn't been pursued by any recruiters. The whole situation frustrated him, and I was frustrated by the fact that I couldn't help him more.

I just threw myself into school work more, to distract myself from his moodiness. I loved him and wanted him to be happy, it was just hard when he didn't want to help himself.

Potions was going well too. I liked Professor Slughorn's class, whenever he wasn't raving about Harry Potter's miraculous talents, of course. I was jealous, and I knew it. But it was odd- I had been in Potions class last year with Harry and he had never appeared to be the distinguished student that he was now. And I had looked at every potion he had made, it wasn't just Slughorn playing favorites in a huge way, he had suddenly become very talented. It seemed a little fishy to me.

The quarter was about a third of the way over when Slughorn presented us with a major project. "I have something that I think has the possibility to be quite exciting to assign to you today," he told as, as we all filed in. "I want you to create your own potion that could be used in the life of the common witch or wizard. This will incorporate many facets of your Potions education, such as your knowledge of existing potions, your knowledge of ingredients, and your knowledge of potion theory. You will work in groups of two, and you will have until the middle of December to work on this. We will work on it every Tuesday, with the rest of your Potions education taking place on Thursdays. I can't wait to see what you all come up with."

I hated when we had to do projects in pairs, because it was always awkward trying to find someone to work with. I looked over at the two other tables, and saw everyone else immediately paired up. Then I looked back at my table. I knew I didn't want to work with Ron, because I wasn't completely sure how he had managed to get in this class. He usually spent most of his time swearing into his cauldron. He seemed nice enough, but I didn't want to work with him. Maybe this would be a good opportunity to work with Harry. It would enable me to get to know him a little better and I could figure out how he had suddenly become so good with potions. I looked across the table, but the boys had already turned their backs to both Hermione and I.

I turned to her. Working with her wouldn't be bad. I had a feeling she might try to micromanage the project, but that was fine by me. She looked nervous, raking a hand through her curly hair. "Partners?" I asked her, though it was a bit rhetorical as we were the only two left.

She just nodded, and moved her chair over. She flipped open her book. "I think we should take today and brainstorm what we could make. We have plenty of time to brew a potion, even if we need to pay attention to the lunar cycle to get it right."

"Sounds like a good idea," I told her.

"I'm thinking we should go for something simple. I don't think it needs to be anything terribly elaborate, just something that has been overlooked for ages. If you could invent a potion to simplify one part of your day, what would it be?"

We each took a few moments to think about it. I wanted a potion that made my boyfriend happy, but I knew that was silly. I wished I could do a potion to help me focus on schoolwork, but I was pretty sure it already existed. "I'm really... not sure," I told her. "I don't think anything I can think of would translate into a potion."

She nodded. "What about a potion that would banish homesickness?" she asked. "I'm not terribly sure how we would go about it, but I know I would use it."

"That sounds really interesting," I told her. The idea that potions were able to mess with our brains like that, even in a beneficial way, intrigued me a lot. I knew we would have to do a great amount of research before trying it on anyone, but we had time.

We got Slughorn to dismiss us from class so that we could go to the library and begin our research. We got to go in the Restricted Section, which I had never been in before. The books back there were really fascinating.

"I know it's not my place," I said, crouched down, looking for a book on the bottom shelf, "but is everything okay between you three?"

She sighed, and I hoped I didn't offend her, or budge into something I would later regret. "It's nothing... important," she said. "Just some tension, I guess. Harry's got a lot going on right now, and Ron is just... I don't even know the words. Sometimes, it's just not fun to have two blokes for best friends."

"I know what you mean," I said, thinking of Adam. He was great, but sometimes I wanted someone else. I found a book I wanted and pulled it out of the shelf.

"Oh, you're dating Adam Goldman, right?" she asked.

"Yes, yes I am," I nodded, even though my back was to her. The book was about potions with psychological effects, and different ingredients effects on parts of the brain. This potion would require more than just knowledge of the ingredients we were working with. We would also have to know about the structure of the brain.

"That's nice. He seems like a nice bloke," she said. I wasn't sure if she was just making small talk or not.

"He is a nice bloke," I said. "But sometimes... I would like someone to talk about hair products and silly things like that."

"Someone with a bigger emotional range than that of a teaspoon?" she asked.

I couldn't help but laugh. I had no idea she was funny. "Something like that," I said. "I think this is the book that I'm looking for."

"I've got one too," she told me, holding up a dusty hardcover. "I think we should each come up with plans for a potion for next week's class, and we can reevaluate what the best course of action is then. Sound like a plan?"

"Yes, it sounds great," I told her. I was actually glad that we had ended up as partners. Maybe this would be a really good thing.

~.~

I spent some time later in the week working on the potion, and had a pretty good rough draft for the potion. I was actually really excited to get to work on it. I knew if we could figure it out, it might be really successful.

Thursday evening, I got an invitation from Slughorn to attend dinner in his quarters the following night. I wondered how many other people got the invitation, but responded I would be delighted to attend regardless. I wanted to be in Slughorn's favor, which apparently meant joining his 'Slug Club'.

I turned up to dinner the next day, wearing one of the nice robes I had purchased before coming to Hogwarts. I was glad to see Hermione was there as well, and took my seat next to her. "Hello," I said.

"Hi," she said back. "I'm glad you're here." Her eyes darted to the boy who was sitting two seats down from her. Cormac McLaggen was definitely trying to get her attention. He was making a fool out of himself.

I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at him, but then looked back to Hermione with what I hoped was an expression of sympathy. It seemed we were becoming fast friends, and I was glad.

"I think I found a good recipe for that potion," I told her. "It makes complete sense to me, at least."

"Oh, good!" she said, "because I'm rather stuck. I mean, I found a good basis for potions that are trying to do something to the brain, but it's definitely missing something."

Slughorn sat down, and dinner was served. "No Harry?" I whispered to Hermione.

She shook her head. "He's in detention with Snape."

I nodded. That was a good explanation, definitely. Slughorn was definitely a bit sad to have his favorite student missing, though. Ginny Weasley came in late, and took the seat on the other side of Cormac. Cormac was obnoxious throughout the whole dinner. He just didn't know how to take the hint that Hermione was seeing him, but ignoring him anyways. It was humorous to me but not so much to her.

After dinner was over, we got out of there pretty quickly. It had been a long week. "What did Harry do to deserve detention?" I asked.

"He was rude to Professor Snape in class," she told me. "It... he was being stupid. He's... got a lot going on at the moment, I think, and he's being a bit reckless."

"Too much Felix Felicis?" I asked, curious. Maybe he took a bit of that before each Potions class, which would certainly explain his luck.

She laughed. "I don't think so. Just "Chosen One" stuff and other things..." she trailed off. I knew she knew more than she was leading me on to, but she wasn't going to betray his trust in her.

"And Ron... isn't invited?" I asked. It was curious, because Ginny was there.

She shook her head. "No, thank Godric. The git can stay in the Common Room and mope my himself," she said. She sounded bitter about something, and I wanted to know what.

"Hermione!" I said, surprised that she could sound so bitter. "I thought you two were friends."

"We are," she told me. "It's... just how our friendship is, at the moment. He's being stupid."

I nodded, not sure exactly what I should say in response. "I'm sorry," I told her.

She shrugged. "Anyways, here's where I go up the stairs and you go down. Have a nice night, Kat."

"Thanks, Hermione," I said, turning the corner. It seemed like I might be gaining a new best friend, and I was actually very excited.

~.~

We spent the next Tuesday trying to piece together our potion recipes. She had a great idea for a base, and I knew how to tweak it so that it would relieve a person of homesickness. We started brewing it almost right away, and were the first people in our class to start the actual work of a potion. It would only take one class to brew, as the brewing time was about an hour and a half. It was a quick and relatively easy potion to make. If this was a successful endeavor, I knew this potion would find success in a market.

An hour and a half after we began, right on time, the potion turned the light yellow I had expected. I knew it was done, and removed it from the flames. Just a few minutes of excess heat would botch the trial, I knew.

"Are you homesick?" I asked her, having a feeling she was. She had come up with the idea, so it was a pretty obvious need in her life.

She nodded. "Yes," she said, quietly. "Do you think the potion is safe?"

I looked at our ingredients list again. It looked like it would be. There was nothing harmful in there, of course, as it was meant for consumption. "I think so... are you okay with taking it?"

"Yes," she told me, ladelling some out of the cauldron and into a vial. She tipped it into her mouth and swallowed. She grimmaced. "Tastes terrible."

That wasn't a good sign. All of the ingredients were pretty sweet tasting, some were even used in cooking. Terrible tasting wasn't what I had predicted, and that was a big warning sign to me.

I informed Slughorn, and he wanted me to watch Hermione for any reaction. When she began to break out in hives, it was a trip to the Hospital Wing for us. I accompanied her, because I felt terrible.

"I'm so sorry," I told her.

"Don't worry about it," she told me. "I feel fine. I think it has helped my homesickness."

That didn't stop her from scratching her neck, where large red welts had began to form. There was obviously a reaction here, meaning our potion wasn't going to be able to be used. I tried to analyze what had gone in the cauldron and figure out why she was breaking out. The only thing I could think of was that the fluxweed had broken down too long, and compromised the potion. I sighed, a bit frustrated that our project hadn't been as easy as it looked like it would be.

Madame Pomfrey was very concerned when she saw Hermione, and whisked her to a bed for an examination. I remained outside for awhile, wanting to make sure she was all right. I did feel awful that something I had overlooked had turned out like this.

Madame Pomfrey let me in to see her about ten minutes later, so I joined her as the effects of an Allergy Potion set in. My friend was going to be fine.

"I guess we're back to square one, eh?" she asked.

I nodded. Time to come up with something else.

**Author's Note: Well, here's chapter three! I'm so pleased with the amount of feedback you guys are giving me on this story, it's really awesome! Keep it up, please! I need to ask you all a favor, though. Most of you have been around for awhile, and are all familiar with my FANTASTIC beta, potter-reading-coastie. Well, a few stories ago, he was writing the mini-story "The Adventures of Emily and the Coastie". We both would like the story to return, however, he's stuck. So we're looking for a few people to guest write a chapter or two! If you're interested, (PLEASE be interested) let me know in a review or a PM and I'll be in touch with details. It would be a one or two 'episode' guest writing position, writing a 200 to 500 word short story. If you're interested and not familiar with the story, let me know and I can email it to you. We really appreciate it! Thanks everyone! **


	4. Chapter 4

I requested that Hermione take a break from the Potions project to recover. She was going to be fine, but I didn't want her to stress about the project. I still felt awful about having her react like that.

Meanwhile, I was brainstorming what our next attempt might be. I looked at a few potions from one of my favorite books, _101 Potions Every Witch and Wizard Should Know_, to give me inspiration. I wanted to do something simple, something that wouldn't be dangerous, and something that would be useful.

I came across the page of the Draught of Living Death. It was the potion that we had made the first day of class, and had stumped all of us. It was a hard potion, but it was used a lot. I knew that it was often used at St. Mungo's to help patients relax when they needed to, although it usually had a very strong effect. A small dosage would put even a large man to sleep for at least a day.

So I had what I considered a brilliant idea. If the potion was simplified and made weaker, it could be used much more often. In minor instances, it could be used to calm anxiety attacks and relax people before they started sleeping. I started to outline the new potion that night. It wouldn't be too hard to make: it had a short ingredients list and could probably be brewed in one class. I was actually proud of the idea, and hoped that Hermione would be supportive of it.

Luckily, when I presented it the idea to her during the next week's class, she seemed really happy with it. It definitely wouldn't cause any reaction like what she had when trying the last potion. "I'll test it, this time," I offered. If anything happened this time, I wanted to be the one to find out, even if she had insisted she didn't mind. She had made a full recovery.

We spent some time together that weekend getting the potion together. We wanted to be done with it early so that we could have time to play around with it. In a way, it was good that we had gotten started on it early, so that we knew the Homesickness Banisher wouldn't work. Most groups were still trying to plan their potions, which made me grateful that Hermione and I had ended up working together.

A little bit of time passed, and Hermione and I were definitely friends now. It seemed like we found each other at the perfect time. She was someone I could talk to when I didn't feel like talking to Adam, which was something that was becoming more often. I loved him, I really did, but I couldn't wait until he knew what he was doing and could stop being in such a foul mood. It was really unattractive. I had done nothing wrong, but I felt like sometimes he was taking out all his stress on me.

And I knew she was glad to find a friend in me. It seemed like she and Ron were always in the middle of some sort of fight. There was an odd dynamic in her friendships with Harry and Ron. I couldn't quite figure it out, but it intrigued me. She and Ron fought terribly, but when they weren't fighting they got along great. I highly suspected that she fancied him, but didn't want to embarrass her by asking. We weren't that good friends yet. And she seemed a little distant from Harry at the moment, but whenever he came up, she just told me he was going through a lot, whatever that meant. As our friendship progressed, I learned that he fancied Ginny Weasley, and was trying to get over Cho Chang. I wondered how Ron had taken the news that his best friend fancied his little sister, but Hermione just shrugged it off. It was a weird friendship that I didn't waste the time trying to understand. It just was. But I was the friend she needed when she couldn't talk to them.

The Hogsmeade weekend and the Quidditch match were coming up. The Hogsmeade weekend was a much needed date for Adam and I. In the castle, he was surrounded by all of his stressors at all times. I knew that if I could get him away from that for a few hours, he would be in a much better mood.

We started off in Honeydukes, where I bought a bunch of candy. I knew that he liked Cauldron Cakes, and figured that they might cheer him up when he was stressed out next. Then we went to Zonko's, where we amused ourselves with the jokes. It was so nice to see him finally smiling and laughing. I couldn't remember the last time that I had seen him grin, his dark eyes sparkling. When he smiled like that, I couldn't help but smile back at him.

We had a really nice lunch at The Three Broomsticks next. He had snagged us a booth in the back, giving us some privacy while we ate. Even though we were surrounded by our classmates, I really didn't want to have to entertain Geoff today. I just wanted some alone time with Adam.

"I've had a great time today," he told me.

"I'm so glad," I told him. "I enjoy seeing you smile."

His lips turned up even though he was staring at his Butterbeer. I grabbed his hand under the table. "I'm sorry I've been such a terrible boyfriend lately," he said. It felt great to be apologized to, because I felt like I had been suffering through this relationship the past month or so. I did love him, and I knew we would work through this rough patch. "You really deserve to be treated better than this..."

"I love you, Adam," I reminded him. I felt like he needed to be reminded of that as I could sense his confidence melting away.

"I love you too, Kat," he said. We spent a while at The Three Broomsticks, talking quietly. I snuck in a kiss whenever I could, the affection making him blush in a way that made me happy. We talked about his future, and he told me that he was applying to become an Auror just to placate his family. He had no actual intention of becoming an Auror, and knew he might get rejected, but it would buy him some time before he had to decide what he really wanted. To me, knowing that he had this possible back up option was good, even if he wasn't thrilled about it. My brother Robert had decided to become an Auror at the last possible second, as he had been similarly unsure of his future. But he had grown to love Auror training. Also, I could see that the tension that had hung over him like a black cloud the last few weeks was starting to thin out.

Hermione, Harry, and Ron came in, and I waved to Hermione. I knew that she was probably busy with them, so we wouldn't talk, but I still wanted to acknowledge her.

"Who did you wave to?" Adam asked. He didn't want to turn around and look, because that would look awkward.

"Hermione Granger," I told him. "We're working together on a project for Potions, and I really like her."

He shrugged. "She's friends with Harry Potter," he said, looking unhappy.

"So...?" I asked. I was a little confused about how this was a bad thing. I was neutral on my opinion of Harry, thinking him a bit overrated, but not a bad bloke.

"He's my rival in Quidditch!" Adam informed me, like I should have known that. "He's a really good Seeker, and when we play Gryffindor in the spring, I'm going to have a lot of competition!"

I just nodded. "I'm sure you will do really well," I told him. I gave him a reassuring smile, knowing that was what he needed right now.

We spent the rest of the day walking around Hogsmeade. In the afternoon, thick clouds rolled in and snow began to fall from the sky. It was early for snow, but not unheard of. We perused the small shops, and he bought me a bracelet I really liked, that had a small silver charm with my initials.

"I hope it doesn't snow for the Quidditch game next week," he said, as we walked back to the castle. The snow wasn't heavy, but it came down enough that it melted on our skin.

"Me too," I said, for purely selfish reasons. I hated sitting in the stands when it was cold.

Fortunately, the next Saturday it didn't snow. Unfortunately, the next Saturday, it was freezing. I had on one of Adam's travelling cloaks as I sat in the stands, but the chill still cut me. Hopefully the game would be quick. Hufflepuff was playing Ravenclaw today. Ravenclaw was the only team that was definitely worse than us, so I just prayed that Adam would find the Snitch quickly to end the match, and do it without getting hurt. He had dislocated his shoulder last year, and I hated worrying about him like that.

I cheered him on the best I could, as it felt like my mouth had turned into ice. Hufflepuff was definitely embarrassing Ravenclaw, though, with the goals they were scoring. Adam had done a lot with the Hufflepuff team, and the whole school looked on, impressed. I was so proud of him. It was seventy to ten, half an hour into the game. Adam hovered over us, his eyes scanning the field for the Snitch. It seemed like forever before he finally located it, floating down near the grass, trying to hide.

He dove for it before the Ravenclaw Seeker even had the time to follow Adam's line of sight to where the Snitch was. I was so happy when it was announced that he had captured it, because it meant I was that much closer to getting to go inside. Hannah Abbott, who was sitting next to me, turned to me.

"That was a really great game!" she said, grinning. "I can't believe we won by such a huge margin!"

I just grinned. I watched as the Hufflepuffs gathered in a clump on the field, celebrating their victory. This was a fantastic way to start off their season.

~.~

Twenty minutes later, I was waiting outside the Hufflepuff locker room for him to come out. It seemed like every member of the team left before he did. Finally, he came out. I threw myself at him, both to congratulate him and because he was warm from the showers.

"Come inside," he said, quietly, pulling me in.

"I don't think we should," I told him. I wanted to get back to the Common Room. Everyone would be waiting for him to join the party that was inevitably taking place in the Common Room. Plus there would be a fire going and warm pumpkin juice. "Let's just go in-"

He shut me up with a kiss, and pulled me inside by the travelling cloak I wore. "We're the only ones here, its okay," he coaxed me. He was very passionate as we snogged, and I didn't feel like putting up much of a fight. It was the most affection I had received from him in far too long. I was intoxicated by the hormones he caused to surge through my body.

"We should really get going," I told him, as he pulled the cloak off my shoulders. "They'll send someone to look for us and I really don't want to be found like this."

He nodded. "Fine," he said. He wasn't as cold as I was because he had a hot shower. We went up to the castle quickly, trying to make up for the time we had lost. I was happy to get some spiced cider and sit by the fire. I sat in front of him, my back leaning against his armchair as he discussed the match with some of his fellow teammates. I didn't really understand all of their technical jargon, but they all seemed happy with him, which made me happy in response. I was proud of him.

"Alex Sturgeon was at the game," one of the fifth year boys chimed in. Everyone knew that he was a top Quidditch recruiter, and it was a good sign that he was there.

But Adam wasn't going to give them the appearance of more confidence than was necessary. "We'll see," he said, trying to remain humble. There was a good chance that Alex wasn't there for him anyways. But secretly, I hoped he was there for Adam, because it would mean that he had a chance at following his passion of Quidditch.

All I could do was hope.

**Author's Note: Here's Chapter four! I'm really excited. I've had some feedback that the story is off to a slow start- I know it may seem like that. I'm really setting up the story for later. The parts I think you're probably looking for are going to happen in the late teens-early twenties chapters (think Chapters 17 on). I don't think I've said it before, but this story will be an "epic" and probably will clock in around thirty five chapters, so really it's just beginning! Has anyone considered writing a chapter of my beta's story? Please let me know! Thanks to potter-reading-coastie for being a generally awesome person and fantastic beta :) Let me know what you think :)**


	5. Chapter 5

My friendship with Hermione was growing beyond Potions. We were in a few of the same classes. I joined her table in Herbology, especially. It was early December, and snow was falling on the grounds outside us. Luckily, heating charms made it comfortable in the green house, and we were faced with the task of opening Snargaluff pods and removing their tubers.

Hermione and I were fighting with one of the plants, while Ron and Harry took care of another. "This isn't that bad," I said. From the frustrated comments coming from other tables, I had expected worse.

"It's almost fun," Hermione said, laughing as she removed another pod from the stump. I used a knife to pin it down, as it was my job to crack them open and remove the insides.

"You've got a really strange sense of fun, Hermione," Ron commented, as he and Harry struggled to get their first pod out of the stump.

"Speaking of fun," she changed the subject. "Slughorn is having a party for Christmas, and I don't think you'll be able to get out of this one, Harry."

Harry groaned. Somehow, he had managed to avoid all of Slughorn's get togethers over the past month. Harry was strange, that was for sure. I knew that there were many things I didn't know about him, and attributed it to that. Hermione assured me that he was a great friend. I tried to remind myself that he had been through a lot over the last few years.

I took a moment and glanced at Ron. His face had turned sour when we brought up the party, as he wouldn't be going to the party. I felt bad, and sort of hoped that Hermione would ask him to go as his date. It would probably eliminate the horrible tension that was going on between him and Hermione, and he wouldn't be such a git about the Slug Club when he saw how dreadful it was anyways.

"When's this?" Harry asked, not looking up from his stump. Finally, he managed to wrestle a pod from it, and he passed it to Ron.

"Weekend after this one," she said. I was glad we had another weekend, because I needed to get dress robes for it. I hadn't been planning to go to anything that required dress robes this semester, so I hadn't brought any. But luckily I had enough money to get some. I still had over a hundred Galleons left, and there were only two weeks left of the term. I wasn't really looking forward to the holiday.

"Great," he said, though he didn't sound as excited as the word implied.

"Well, I guess you three will have just loads of fun at Slughorn's party then," Ron said. "Cormac will be there too won't he, Hermione? Guess it will be loads of fun for you."

This was the first time I had truly seen the side of Ron that Hermione despised so much, but I completely understood why she felt how she did. "Actually Ron," she said, finally facing him. "We're allowed to bring our own dates."

He looked up and met her eyes, and they held the glance for a few seconds. Ron was definitely in a better mood after looking away.

"Are you bringing Adam, Kat?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," I said. "He just needs to buy new dress robes first, but he's going with me. He's excited."

"Oh, that's cute," she said.

I thought so too. He was genuinely interested in what we were doing, even though I told him it wasn't a lot. I wasn't sure exactly what the party entailed either, but we would have fun. Anytime we were together, it was enjoyable.

We finished up on our Snargaluff pod, and got to leave class early. Hermione and I walked back up to the castle together. "Hermione?" I asked.

"Hmm?" she asked, turning to me.

I took this moment to my advantage. We were alone, and I could finally ask her a question I wad wondered for a few weeks. "Do you fancy Ron?"

She didn't say anything, but a bright red blush moved up her face. That was enough of an answer for me.

"You do!" I exclaimed. That was a little exciting to me.

"It doesn't matter," she said.

"Why not?" I asked her. "Of course it matters. You guys have tons of chemistry."

She couldn't deny the chemistry they shared, though whether that was always a good thing was not clear. I thought they would be a great couple. "It's complicated, Kat," she said. "There are more important things on all of our plates at the moment than some silly infatuation."

I guessed that was all she was going to say on the subject, so I dropped it for now. Once we got in the castle, we went our separate ways.

We met up the next day, however, to finish up our potions project. It was complete, finally, but we had to assemble it. I brought the five vials of potion that Slughorn wanted, and she had copied the recipe. Her handwriting was much neater.

"All that's left to do is name it, I guess," she said. She got out her quill, and looked to me to see if I had any ideas in mind.

I watched as Harry approached her from behind. "What are you two up to?" he asked.

I snatched the paper, and hid it. "You're our competition, go away," I said.

"Oh, the Potions project," he said, pulling out a chair to sit down in. "Ron and I are done."

"What did you make?" I asked.

"Ateri Elixer," he said. "It's like the opposite of Felix Felicis." I thought that was an odd potion, and not really anything that had a practical use.

However, since he already had his project all set, I put our papers back on top of the table. He looked at them. "This is actually brilliant," he said, reading it. "What's it called?"

We both shrugged. "We're still working on that."

"Sedation Serum," he said, taking the quill from Hermione's hand and scrawling that across the top. "Done."

Hermione and I both exchanged glances, and shrugged. That seemed like a good enough name. "Great," I said, collecting the parchment.

"So you're done?" he asked Hermione. She nodded. "Good. Can you come with me?"

His behavior was very odd, and I was definitely confused. Hermione just gave me a glance which told me she would try and explain later, so I waved her off. "Bye guys," I said. "Have a nice night..."

~.~

Two days later was the Quidditch match. Today, Gryffindor was playing Slytherin. It was a big deal for Adam, because he wanted to see what the other teams strategies were for their games. He was obsessed with winning the Cup this year.

So I was a good girlfriend and went with him, even though it was snowing heavily. Saturday morning, I had been sure that they were going to call the game off, but they didn't. There was an ice cold wind which stung my face. I spent a lot of the game with my head tucked into his neck for warmth, sort of resenting the fact I was here. This was not weather that we should be outside in, and a lot of the school had chosen to spend the day inside. There were only a few people from Ravenclaw sitting in the stands.

"I don't really like Harry Potter," he told me. "He's... I guess I don't understand the hype."

"He's okay," I told Adam. I didn't have any reason to dislike Harry. I just didn't understand him. But I didn't think it was a worthwhile argument. I knew the reason that Adam disliked him so much was because he was competition.

"Will he be at the party next weekend?" he asked.

"Of course," I said. "Slughorn loves him."

He nodded, and leaned forward in his seat to watch the game. For the next two hours, some of the longest two hours of my life, I was forced to listen to commentary on how defensive he thought the Slytherin were playing, how much he hated the maneuvers the Gryffindor Chasers played, and other things that didn't mean much to me. I tried to act like it all made sense and mattered to me, but it really didn't. I had a feeling Adam knew I didn't really care, but he kept his arm tight around me anyways.

It was one of the longest games in the last few years, according to Adam. I didn't mind watching, but it was just so damn cold. I didn't know how he didn't feel it.

Finally, after what felt like days, or maybe an ice age, Harry dove and caught the Snitch. I could have kissed him, because I was so relieved we got to finally go inside.

We went inside, and stopped in the kitchens for something to eat. We had missed lunch, and didn't want to wait for dinner. And then we went back to the Common Room and relaxed for awhile. I had never been so happy to sit by a fire in my life. I used that time to write to Dad and find out what our plans were for Christmas. I knew we would either sit at my grandparents', Vera's parents', or go away somewhere for the holiday. I really wanted to see my grandparents, but didn't mind the idea of a holiday. I just couldn't stand the thought of spending days with Vera's family.

I knew Adam wanted to see me over the Holidays, and I wanted to see him. I still had to figure out what I was getting him though, but I had time to figure it out. I had hoped Hermione and I would be able to hang out, as we lived close to each other. However, she was going to Ron's family's house.

A few hours later, I was finally defrosted, and planned on just going to bed. "Hey," Adam said, nudging me. I was almost asleep, too.

"Yeah?" I asked, not awake enough to open my eyes.

"Come do my Prefect rounds with me tonight," he pleaded. "Elisabeth Rivers was supposed to do it with me but she's sick."

I sighed. "I'm not a Prefect, I could get in trouble," I reminded him. I really didn't want to walk around the castle for an hour.

"No, you won't. I promise. You'd be with me," he said. "Please, Kat... please."

The way he was begging was really annoying, though my state of exhaustion could have exacerbated that. "Adam..."

"Kat..." he trailed off, "Please. I just want to spend some time with you. I don't want to go do it alone. Kat..."

I picked my head up, and saw he had a sad look on his face. I knew he was just trying to get me to agree to go with him, and it was working. I would feel bad if I stayed here, even if I was terribly exhausted. There was no way to make both of us happy, so I decided to please him this time. "Okay, but can we make it as quick as possible?" I asked.

He nodded. "Definitely," he said. He went to get his two cloaks, and I stole the warmer one from him. I was not going to be caught cold when we walked through the court yards. We walked through the court yards, and up. The castle was beautiful at night, but it was still too cold for my taste. Though, it sort of felt like a ghost town, made just for us, tonight. We were the only ones to see.

However, once we were working out way up, we came across an empty classroom with people in it. I recognized one of the classroom's occupants immediately. Hermione, Ron, and Harry all stood in the room. Both Hermione and Ron looked absolutely livid with each other, and I was a little afraid of the fire that lit up Ron's eyes. On his arm was Lavender Brown, the airhead sixth year that was in my Muggle Studies classes. That confused me, as I thought Hermione would soon be announcing she and Ron were together.

"What's going on in here?" Adam asked, bursting in.

"Nothing," Ron said, not even looking up at Adam. I was concerned for the situation, because of the air of the room. It felt like it was charged with electricity, and not in a good way. Hermione had her wand drawn and pointed at Ron.

"Put the wand down," Adam said, forcefully. I knew Hermione was going to get in trouble.

Lavender slipped out of there, pulling Ron with her. However, they disappeared up the stairs in the dark, so we had no idea where they had gone. "Adam," I said, quietly, but forcefully. "Why don't you go get the other two people that are out after their curfew and bring them back to their Common Room?" I asked.

He looked hesitant, his eyes darting back and forth between all of us. "Fine," he said. I watched him glare at Harry for a second, before disappearing into the dark. He was ridiculous.

"What's his problem?" Harry asked, grimacing.

"He's just a git," I explained. "You can ignore him."

Hermione had slunk down on the steps, and was crying quietly. This alarmed me so much, as it was very much uncharacteristic of Hermione. She was usually well pulled together and I felt terrible. I guessed she was upset because Ron was now with Lavender Brown, apparently.

Before I had time to react, Harry crouched down next to her and put his arm around her. She turned away from him, though, probably embarrassed of her tears.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked her, when I bent down. I patted her hair, trying to calm her down.

She just shook her head, and let the tears slide down her cheeks. I hated when people cried, usually because I felt so helpless. I hated that she was so sad because Ron hadn't been very nice to her. She really did deserve someone who treated her well.

I looked at Harry. "I think I've got it under control," I said quietly to him. "I'll make sure she gets back to the Common Room in one piece."

He nodded, looking grateful that I was relieving him from his duties. "Thanks," he said, getting up and disappearing into the dark.

I turned around and looked at Hermione. What was I going to do?

**Author's Note: Another week, another chapter. Thanks, as always, to my fantastic readers, for all you support and reviews (keep it up! Please!) and my awesome beta, potter-reading-coastie. You all are really great. Let me know what you think :) **


	6. Chapter 6

I sat down and put my arm around her. She wiped away a few tears, and rested her head on her knees.

"It's going to be okay," I told her.

She turned to face me finally, although she couldn't quite meet my eyes. "I'm so embarrassed. I've made everything such a mess."

"No," I said, even though I was just trying to comfort her. I couldn't really deny the situation was a lot messier than it had been.

"Yes," she choked. I conjured up a handkerchief and handed it to her. I wanted to say something that would make her feel better, but wasn't sure there was anything. "I've ruined everything."

"I think you need a good night's sleep," I told her. "Things will seem better in the morning, I promise. There isn't anything else you can do tonight."

"I guess you're right," she sighed. I helped her up. She must have really fancied Ron.

I walked her up to her Common Room, and said good night to her. I hoped that when I found her tomorrow morning, she would be in better spirits, and that somehow, her friendship with Ron would make it through.

Adam wasn't anywhere to be found. I knew he was done with his Prefect duties, but didn't think he had gone to bed already. He must have been angry with me for stopping with Harry and Hermione, I decided. I hated going to bed with him upset with me, but I couldn't help it sometimes.

I was beginning to feel like a lot of our relationship was pretty rocky. I still loved him and wanted to be with him, but at the same time, we hadn't been very happy with each other. I knew that he had a lot of stress going on right now, but I felt like he was taking it all out on me. I made a mental note to talk to him about it. He probably didn't even realize he was doing it, so I couldn't fault him for it yet.

His absence in the Common Room led me to go to bed early, which ended up being a good thing. When I saw him in the morning, he didn't mention the previous night, so I was confused. But I wasn't going to bring it up and have him get annoyed.

We turned in our Sedation Serum the next Potions class, and Slughorn seemed very pleased. He was going to test all of the potions that had been created. A few seemed like really good ideas, like a concentration potion, but some weren't really a potion that sounded like they followed the project's guidelines. It felt great to have the project behind us. But I felt good, because I didn't just leave the project with a potion I was proud of, but also a friend in Hermione.

I had a few exams to study for, mostly Muggle Studies, but the bulk of work before the term was over was complete. We had Slughorn's party, which almost seemed like it would be more work than the studying. But at least my dress was pretty. It had arrived yesterday, and I was really happy with it. It was worth every Galleon.

Hermione had decided, the day before the party, that she was taking Cormac up on his offer to be her date to the party. She hadn't brought Ron or the events of Saturday night up since they happened, and I didn't want to press for details.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" I asked her, as we were both working in the Library. I watched the snow fall out the window that was behind her. It was snowing hard; the whole Scottish landscape was covered in white. If the sun had been up, it would have glistened beautifully.

"Definitely," she said. "I think he will be a fine date."

I raised my eyebrows at her, but just nodded. I wasn't going to try and change her mind. She knew it wasn't going to be enjoyable. "All right," I said. I couldn't help but chuckle. At the very least, we would have a lot to laugh about later.

About twenty four hours later, we were getting ready for the party. My dress was blue, and was strapless with a full skirt. However, my favorite part was the lace overlay. I had even asked Adam to charm my shoes the same shade of blue that my dress was. I put it on, and felt great in it.

I went downstairs to look for Adam. I hadn't seen him since breakfast, but he had told me he would be ready in time for the party. I couldn't wait to see him; I thought he looked so attractive when he was wearing formal robes. And there was no reason we shouldn't have fun tonight.

I went down the stairs slowly, trying to keep balance in my high heels. I couldn't remember the last time I had worn them. I couldn't wait to see how lovely Adam looked in his fancy robes.

But when I got down to the Common Room, he was sitting in an armchair, staring off into the fire. "Adam," I said, standing in front of him. "Why aren't you ready?"

He just looked up at me then back down at the fire and sighed. I could tell something was the matter; I just had no idea what.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

"I got rejected by the Aurors," he said quietly, so that other people wouldn't hear him.

"Oh," I said, feeling like my stomach suddenly was full of bricks. I felt terrible. I knew he really didn't want to be an Auror, but having that option would have made the upcoming Christmas break a lot easier on him. His family would accept it until he had something better come along. Now I knew he was in for a rough time at Christmas. "I'm so sorry."

I grasped his wrists and pulled him up so he was on my level. I wrapped my arms around him and tightly squeezed him. "I have nothing," he said to me. I could sense how tight his throat was, he was restraining tears.

"That's a lie, Adam," I told him. "You're a fantastic person. Something will come along for you, I just know it."

He just shook his head. I knew it was terribly hard for him, and I really wanted to comfort him. There was nothing I could really do, though. I wasn't able to turn back time and force him to get better grades the last few years. I couldn't magically get him a job offer. I could only be there for him, and that didn't feel like enough.

"Such a load of shit, Kat," he bit out, "I don't have anything." A fire quickly flashed through his eyes and then died down a bit. He was getting really upset.

"Hey, hey," I said, trying to curb his sudden angry mood. I was trying to comfort him here, not anger him. I glanced quickly down to my watch and knew I would be late to the party now. "This isn't my fault."

"Oh, it's mine, right?" he asked, his whole demeanor changed, his face accusatory. "Yeah, I know. You ended up with the stupid boyfriend, didn't you? Enjoy your night with your smart friends. I'm not going."

I had no idea what I had done to deserve this. I was trying to make him feel better, but this whole event was obviously exposing emotions he had been keeping hidden the last few months. "Adam," I choked out. "What do you mean? I want you to go,_please."_

He just shook his head. "Bye, Kat," he said.

I was determined that this party would be good for him. It would take his mind off of this and we would have fun. "You're being a git," I told him. "Now, please, go upstairs and get changed. It would be a good distraction, don't you think?"

"No," he told me. "Now, please, leave. Wouldn't want to be late."

"Why are you acting like this?" I asked him. "This is something that means a lot to me, and I wanted you to be there for me."

He didn't bother to answer; he just got up and walked away from me. I was astounded by his behavior. "Adam!" I said. "You're being an ass."

His only reaction was to shrug as he walked to the stairs to his dorm. I didn't want to make a huge spectacle out of this, we were in the Common Room, after all, and I was running really late by now. I was in a terrible mood and just wanted to go upstairs and curl up in bed. However, I knew I had to go to the party now. Plus it would be a good distraction. This row with Adam had left a terrible taste in my mouth and I didn't want to dwell on it now.

So I made my way down to the dungeons. I could hear music playing from down the hall, and that immediately lifted my mood a bit. Walking in, I was amazed by the change in the dungeons. They were decorated very tastefully and didn't really look like dungeons anymore. Looking around, I tried to spot someone I knew so that I could latch on to them. I was mostly looking for Hermione.

I finally found her on the edge of the room, looking like she was trying not to attract any attention to herself. She was with Harry.

"Hey," I said, coming up next to her.

She jumped. "Kat!" she said. "You scared me. I thought that you were Cormac."

I couldn't help but laugh. Only fifteen minutes into the party and she was already avoiding him like the plague. "Sorry," I said.

"Where's Adam?" she asked. She and Adam had never really met, and I had looked forward to introducing him to my new friend. But that wasn't going to happen now.

I sighed. "Long story," I told her. "But he's not coming."

"No?" she asked. "I'm sorry. That's too bad."

I just shrugged, not sure of the situation. "What about you two? Where did your dates get off to?"

Harry nodded in the direction of the dance floor, where Luna Lovegood was doing a very interesting dance. I suppressed a giggle out of politeness to Harry.

Hermione sighed. "I've just... slipped away from him for a bit," she said. She looked out and scanned the floor for him. He was obviously looking for her, but as we were sort of hiding behind an ice sculpture, he wasn't likely to find her.

"I see," I said. This would be an interesting night for her. "Well, this is going to be a fun night for us three."

They both chuckled, though it was very sarcastic. I was watching Cormac and saw that he had finally located her, and he was making his way over.

"You may want to duck away," I whispered to Hermione. She followed my line of vision and nodded, slipping out into the crowd.

I turned to Harry, feeling awkward because we were now without our hinge. We hadn't ever been alone before, but neither of us really wanted to be alone here, so we would stick together anyways.

Cormac had reached us at this point. "You seen Hermione?" he asked. "I could've sworn she was over here."

We both shrugged. "I thought I saw her go that way," I told him, pointing in the opposite direction of where she had gone. That would buy her a little while longer.

"Thanks!" he said.

"Good one," Harry said, laughing.

"Thanks," I said. I went and got a bowl of punch, because I was thirsty. He followed me.

"Ah, Miss Hammond, I've been looking for you," I heard Professor Slughorn say. I froze, because this didn't sound like it could be good. I turned around, putting a fake smile on my face.

"Hello, Professor," I said. Next to him, stood a younger man with darker skin. I didn't recognize him as a student.

"Have you seen Miss Granger?" he asked.

After a quick scan of the room, I came to the conclusion I had no idea where she was. "I can't say I have," I said.

"Oh, that's too bad. Mr. Potter, I'm glad you two came together," he said. Harry and I exchanged a worried look.

"Oh, no, we-" I began, but Slughorn simply waved me off.

"I wanted to introduce you, Katherine, to Duncan Shacklebolt. Head of Potions Research at St. Mungo's Hospital and nephew of Kingsley Shacklebolt."

"Oh," I said, not entirely sure why I was being introduced to him. But I shook his hand anyways. "Katherine Hammond."

"Great to meet you, Katherine" he said. "Horace has showed me the project that you and Hermione Granger worked on, about Sedation Serum. It's a brilliant product. I'm very interested in having it produced on a large scale and put into use at St. Mungo's. I think it would be a fantastic service to the hospital and I'm very interested in helping patent it. I believe it would open up a lot of opportunities for you, and of course, make a lot of money."

"Wow," I said. This was a fantastic opportunity. My mind was racing with all that this would open up for me. It would look fantastic on my resume, no matter what area of potions I pursued. "This sounds great."

"Good!" Duncan said. "Well, I will give you my contact information, and why don't you and Hermione figure out when would be a good time over the holiday and we can work out the fine print?"

"Yeah, that sounds great," I said. He handed me a business card. We made a bit more small talk, and moved on.

I was absolutely elated, though. That put a smile on my face, and I instantly forgot all about Adam's little meltdown earlier. I was proud that my work had paid off and couldn't wait to tell someone.

"Congratulations, Kat," Harry said, pulling me back to reality. "That's going to be so cool for you two. You both deserve it."

"Thank you," I said.

There seemed to be a bit of a clash around the entrance of the party. I was far back and couldn't hear what was going on, but I could see Professor Slughorn, Filch, and Draco Malfoy. There was something going on.

"I'll be right back," Harry said. "Bathroom."

"Of course," I said.

But I turned around to refill my glass of punch, and wouldn't see Harry again that night.

**Author's Note: Sorry it's been awhile, guys. Been busy with school and family stuff, but I should be updating more regularly from now on. Thanks to potter-reading-coastie for betaing this chapter. Let me know what you think of the story :) I've been getting some great feedback. Thank you so much! **


	7. Chapter 7

A few days later it was time to head home for Christmas. I hadn't spoken to Adam since the night of Slughorn's party, he had avoided me. I wasn't feeling particularly confrontational. We needed a break anyways, because as I stepped away from the relationship, I was aware of all the flaws. I didn't want to end our relationship, because Adam was my best friend and I loved him. A little time apart would just do us some good. We would be able to work on our issues better with a clear head. I knew all of this was true, but sometimes a small part of me thought that I was abandoning him in his time of need. There was no way to win this internal battle.

It was just very inconvenient. I couldn't apparate, so I had to Floo to my brother's flat, since we didn't have a Floo at home. It was very ridiculous, as my father was the head of Magical Transportation, but Vera hated the idea of the Floo. My brother would then take me home.

Plus, I had no one to sit with on the train. I really wanted to go sit with Hermione, but she was with Ron and Harry, and when I walked past their compartment they looked like they were having a very serious discussion. I didn't want to budge in on that. As much as Ron and Hermione fought, the three of them seemed to have an almost magnetic quality when they needed it. I was a little jealous I didn't have friends like that.

I finally found a compartment with an empty seat, and luckily knew a few people there. Hannah Abbott was nice enough, so it wasn't too miserable. It was just a long ride, and I wanted to be home already. I wanted to see my older brother and tell my father about my Potions project and just lay in my bed.

A few hours later, I finally reached my brother's flat. It was snowing heavily and just felt completely like Christmas. I found Rob on his couch, asleep. He was finishing up his training to be an Auror and would graduate in the spring. But I couldn't believe he was asleep at four in the afternoon.

Briefly, I contemplated the best way to wake him up, and a few silly ideas popped in my head. But in the end, I decided it would be best to wake him by shaking him.

"Wasgoinon?" he asked, sitting up. "Oh, Kat!"

He stood up and I gave him a tight hug. I hadn't seen him since mid-August, and it seemed like he had changed a ton since then. His hair was cut very short, and that was obviously new. He also seemed as if he had gained more muscle, as his strong arms wrapped around me.

"Hey, you," he said, ruffling up my hair. Seeing him in front of me reminded me of how much we both looked alike. We both had the same chestnut hair like our mum had, though Rob's hair was a bit darker. Both of us had dad's light eyes, and he was tall like dad too. We weren't a lot alike personality wise, though. He had been a Gryffindor and excelled in everything he tried, where my success was limited to Potions.

"Haven't seen you in ages," I told him.

"I know," he said. "So how's school been?"

I sighed, not really knowing where to begin. There were so many great things going on, like Potions. I was learning a ton in Potions. I had a great friend in Hermione. The Slug Club wasn't too bad. However, there were things like my current situation with Adam that were definitely less than stellar.

"Going well," I told him. "But I think I'm glad to be home on break. How are things going with you?"

He just shrugged. He went into his kitchen and grabbed me a Butterbeer. There was a large stash of Firewhiskey, but it was still a while until I could have that, unfortunately. My birthday was two months away. "Busy with Auror training and stuff," he said. He would be done with that soon, I knew. Dad was really proud of him, and I guessed I was too.

"Seeing anyone?" I asked him. I knew he had been dating a girl named Rachel around when school started, but I hadn't heard anything about her since.

He just shook his head. "Too busy, you know?" he asked. "It's a bit pathetic, but really, when I have days off from training I just want to sleep."

I laughed, since this was obviously true. I'd just woken him up. "I can tell," I said, laughing. It was good to be hanging out with Rob. I didn't realize that I had missed him until he was here in front of me and we could talk.

"How are things with Adam?"

I just shook my head. I didn't really know what to say, and therefore I didn't want to say anything at all. "It's complicated," I said. He looked at me a little more intensely, and then moved in for a one armed hug. I didn't have to say anything else.

"Why don't we get you home?" he asked. "I told Dad I would have you home half an hour ago..."

We both laughed. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go home, honestly. When I walked into that house, I didn't feel the intense presence of home. It just felt like the building I resided in when I wasn't at school. There were no fond memories there. I had grown up in another house, but we moved here when Dad and Vera had gotten married. I didn't even have any memories of my mother in our old house. Robert at least had a few. He had told me she would wake him up in the middle of the night and they would go walk through the snow together. Growing up without a mother in my life wasn't something I liked. And I think the fact that she passed away around Christmas time only made things worse.

I tried not to think about it and keep in the present. It was Christmas, and I was supposed to be happy to see my family after such a long time. When we walked into the house, though, it was anything but happy.

Cecelia and Madeline had what seemed like all of their friends over for a little pre-Christmas party. They were playing awful Muggle music on their radios and hopped up on all sorts of sugar. This was not the peaceful welcoming I had hoped for.

"Your father isn't home," Vera said, as I trudged into the kitchen. I knew she was about to yell at me because I had tracked snow in the house, but instead I just got a very intense look of disapproval. That was almost worse, but was probably due to the fact that her daughters' friends were one room over.

This was one of the reasons I disliked Vera. There was no welcome home greeting. And since Dad wasn't here, I didn't feel all that welcome here. He was the only thing in this house for me.

A few years ago, I would have interpreted his absence as due to the fact I wasn't very important to him. But I knew he was probably busy with work. His work was very important, especially since there would be many people using Magical Transportation over the holidays. He would get home when he was able.

Rob took me up to my room and helped me do a little bit of unpacking. The Muggle music that blared down stairs was loud enough that I thought it might be playing from my closet, but there was nothing I could do about it. It wasn't a battle worth fighting, so I tried to ignore it.

"When do you think Dad will be home?" I asked Rob, as he sat on my bed.

"He told me he would be home to see you half an hour ago. Though to be honest, I don't blame him for staying out of the house..." he nodded his head towards downstairs.

He definitely had a point there. I wouldn't have been there if I didn't have to be. I had no idea how Dad put up with Vera and her daughters, but he had married into the family and knew what he was getting into. "At least you've got your own place," I said.

"I've got a couch," he said. Rob was really the only thing that made me happy about being home.

"Thanks," I told him. I just kept running my fingers over the edge of my trunk for lack of better things to do. My Christmas vacation was off to _such_ a _great_ start.

~.~

Dad got home an hour later, after the party downstairs had pretty much dissolved, thankfully. It was nice to see him again. September felt like years away now, as so much had changed since then. I had a new best friend, a very successful potion project, and I was a member of the Slug Club. Almost five months later, and he still looked exactly the same.

He took Rob and I out to dinner, which made me unreasonably happy. It was nice to spend time with the only two people I considered my real family.

Dad asked loads of questions at dinner, and I got to fill him in on pretty much everything that happened since September. He asked about all of my classes and my professors and my friends. When I told him about Hermione's and my potion project getting possibly sold to St. Mungo's, he seemed to be incredibly proud of me. It felt good to be recognized for my hard work this term. He was happy I had made a friend as well. Overall, it was a good night. It was how every night should be.

My happiness was soon replaced with other emotions as the vacation went on. I hadn't heard from Adam in days, which I thought was unusual. I thought that surely, eventually, he would write to me. He was probably just being stubborn and waiting for me to go to him. I missed him a lot, and knew that if he didn't write me soon I would probably apologize to him, even if I wasn't the one that needed to apologize.

I met up with Hermione to go Christmas shopping. Her family's home was not that far from my own. She was only a fifteen minute walk away, which made it very convenient. She was spending Christmas with her parents somewhere warm, but we had a meeting at St. Mungo's before school started again.

It was nice that my friendship with Hermione translated outside Hogwarts. We had a great time shopping for our families and walking around the city by ourselves. I wanted so badly to go on the trip with her, because I was being forced to go to Vera's family's house for the holiday.

"I'm really glad that we became friends this year," Hermione told me while we were eating lunch. Shopping was an exhausting past time.

"Me too," I said, smiling. She understood me really well, since we were from the same background pretty much. It wasn't always easy balancing Muggle and magical culture, but we got the best of both worlds.

I had gotten my Dad some books that he wanted. Vera, Cecelia, and Madeline all got gift cards to some store that Dad had recommended to me. I had given up on trying to get them personal gifts a long time ago, because it wasn't worth it. Robert got a new radio, because I had noticed his had seen much better days when I was at his flat the other day. It had a wire coat hanger as an antenna and he probably just hadn't gotten around to getting a new one yet.

I had purchased tickets to a Quidditch game last month, and that was supposed to be the gift I was going to give Adam. I knew I would still give them to him, but seeing them sit on my desk in my bedroom made me sad. I really was missing him.

Christmas came and went, nothing particularly special about it. I got a few nice outfits, some money, and some books. Nothing too exciting at all.

Things got exciting a few days after Christmas, but before New Year's. Vera was working at her coffee shop, Madeline and Cecelia were with their father, Dad was working, and I was home alone. It was a rarity, but very nice. I had taken a book and sat in the living room by the fire, just enjoying the silence and the book.

There was a knock on the door, which confused me. We had already gotten the mail today and weren't expecting any visitors. I got up, and looked through the curtain. Adam stood there, looking cold.

The first reaction I had was that my heart sped up. But then I reconsidered. Why was he here? I questioned. Was he here because he wanted to fix things with me, or was he here because he wanted to give me back stuff of mine that was in his possession? Well, I had to answer either way.

"Hi," I said, opening the door. Since I had no idea what he was doing here, I put my hand on my hip and squinted at him. It was better to take the defensive route, I thought.

"Kat," he said, looking relieved. "Can I come in...?"

"What do you want?" I asked him.

"I just want to talk to you and apologize," he said. His words were all jumbled together and I could tell he was a little nervous. "Please, Kat? It's really cold out here..."

I decided I would let him in, mostly because he looked really cold. He followed me into the living room and sat down next to me on the couch. But he kept a bit of distance. "Well?" I asked.

"I... I've missed you," he said slowly. "Being apart... it's not good for us. I know I was an arse, you were right to be upset with me, I completely deserved it. I was upset about getting rejected and I took it out on you even though you didn't do a single thing to deserve it. But hasn't it gone on long enough?"

"It has," I agreed. "But I'm afraid if I just say, oh of course, let's just get back together... it'll go back to the way it was. Which wasn't great, at all, you know."

"You're right," he told me. "But I promise things will be better. I won't be such a nutter to you. I'll treat you how you deserve to be treated. You weren't the problem. It was all me, I promise. You were trying to be the supportive girlfriend, and I was being a jerk. I will go to any functions you want me to, I will hang out with anyone you want me to without making snide remarks, and I will be the boyfriend you deserve."

I looked him in the eyes. His dark brown eyes were wide and honest. I was pretty sure I could trust him. "Okay," I said.

The nervous look on his face melted into a grin, and he leaned into me to kiss me. Oh, I had missed him so much. After a bit of snogging, I was smiling just as much as he was.

"Oh!" I said, standing up. I wanted to give him his Christmas gift, so I ran upstairs to get the tickets off my desk. They weren't wrapped or anything, but I didn't care.

When I got back downstairs, he looked seriously confused. But in a minute, he would look seriously excited, and I couldn't wait. That was my favorite part about giving gifts- the look on someone's face when they saw what I had gotten them. I sat down right next to him, and opened up my hand, which had the tickets in them.

"What are- are these- oh wow. These are fantastic!" He picked them up and examined them. His eyes were bright with excitement. He smiled at me. Everything just felt _so _much better.

**Author's Note: I'm sorry it's been awhile. I've been busy with some things, but I have a few chapters saved up, so I'll be updating more frequently here on out. I have some bad news- my beta, the fantastic potter-reading-coastie, will no longer be betaing my stories as of the start of next month due to work. I'm really sad :( So I'll be looking for a new beta. I would prefer someone who is a loyal reader of mine. If you're interested, either leave me a PM or a review saying so and I'll get in contact with you to give you more details. Thanks so much everyone.**


	8. Chapter 8

The rest of the holidays went by at a better pace. I was a lot happier now that Adam had returned to my life. He was truly my family, and I hadn't realized how much I had missed him. Things felt like they were so much better too. He was being the happy, kind guy that I had fallen in love with.

The meeting at St. Mungo's went really well too. Hermione and I sold the Sedation Serum formula to the hospital for a thousand galleons each, and we would continue to receive money for as long as the potion was successful in use at the hospital and in potions books. I felt really satisfied with our work. I knew that this would help me get a job after Hogwarts. This was something that was so rare, some of my future bosses wouldn't be able to cite it on their resumes. It had basically made my future.

Dad seemed really happy. It felt so great to hear him say the words "Your mother would be so proud," as we walked out of St. Mungo's. For some reason, I knew I would be back soon.

But hearing that my mother would have been proud of me was such a fantastic feeling. A lot of time, I found it hard to miss my mother. I had no memories of her, so she was more of an abstract figure to me. That didn't mean what he said didn't hold a lot of meaning to me

I went home that night and stared at the only photo I had of my mother and I. It was my second birthday, and she was helping me blow out candles on my cake. My hair was still very red then, but it matched her hair. She was really pretty, with super pale skin and freckles and red hair. I didn't look all that much like her. My hair had gotten darker was was definitely more of a chestnut color now. We had similar eyes, though mine were darker as well. And my skin was still light, but you couldn't see my veins or anything. I had Dad's nose and chin, though.

Soon, school was back in session. Winter was my favorite season, because it was just so beautiful out, and we were all busy with school work, but everyone was generally happy.

I was happy, because Adam and I were getting along really well. Everything seemed to be perfect. I didn't feel any of the flaws that had been there before still existed. Hermione was happy because Ron had broken up with his girlfriend and was single. However, she didn't seem to want to do all that much about it. She didn't want to ask him out for a date or anything, so I didn't know how to help her there. But she was happy, and Ron and Harry seemed like they were doing okay, so that was good. Everyone was doing pretty well, so it was a peaceful time.

During one of my free times that Adam had class, I was walking around the third floor. I was looking for somewhere to study where I could watch the snow fall, so it had to be an empty classroom. I finally found one, but it was occupied

"Hello?" I asked, leaning against the doorway. Harry Potter sat on the far side of the room. To me, it was peculiar that he was alone. I wasn't sure I had ever seen him completely alone like this before.

"Hey Kat," he said. He didn't seem very happy, so for a few seconds I was conflicted. Should I really be in here if he was in a bad mood? Obviously, he wanted to be left alone.

"Do you mind if I work in here?" I asked him.

"Not at all," he said. He moved his stuff so I could sit next to him, so I felt better about stealing his alone time from him. I saw that he was working on an essay for Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Snape's a hard teacher," I commented.

"Yeah," he said. "He's..." he just shook his head. "Very... something."

I took that as a sign that he just wanted some silence, which was fine by me. I took out my work for a Potions essay that was due in a few days, and got started on it. I watched many fat snowflakes drift past me from outside the glass, and admired the beauty in between paragraphs of my paper.

I glanced up, and saw that Harry was watching some people outside. I craned my neck, and was pretty sure I recognized Ginny Weasley and some of her friends having a snowball fight on their way back from one of the greenhouses.

"Is that Ginny Weasley?" I asked him.

He nodded. "Yes," he said. He didn't look like he was going to elaborate, so I went back to work on my paper. If I kept working at this rate, it would be done in no time.

I ended up finishing a pot of ink, and hadn't thought to bring another with me. I looked up at Harry, wondering if we were good enough friends that he would allow me to borrow some from him. His eyes were still fixed on Ginny outside.

"Do you fancy her?" I asked him, rather frankly. Of course, he had no obligation to answer me, but I was curious.

He looked at me, and the look I saw in his eyes was surprise. It was almost as if he had forgotten I was sitting next to him. "Er..." he trailed off, but looked down.

I was pretty sure that meant yes. "Aren't you both single?"

"Well, yeah..." he said. "We are. But I didn't say I fancy her."

"Oh?" I asked. I just looked him in the eyes, but he was weaker.

"Okay, maybe I do... a little. But it's not really anyone's business other than mine, because we're not going to be together, and therefore it doesn't matter at all."

"Why can't you be with her?" I asked. I was seriously confused. I didn't think she was out of his league at all. "Is it some best friend's sister thing?"

He shook his head, but it was half-heartedly. "Just... it's complicated," he said "I can't explain it to you, Kat, I'm sorry."

I guessed it was some 'Chosen One' nonsense, but really, unless there was something huge going on, I had no reason to believe they couldn't be together. He was being stubborn and a little bit insane. "All right," I sighed.

"It's too complicated. Believe me, if I could, I would."

"Then why don't you?" I asked him. "I mean, really, how bad could it be? I think you'd be a great couple, even if I don't know either of you very well. And so what if she's Ron's sister, I think it would still be good for both of you! Give you a reason to smile, you know?"

He shrugged. "Maybe," he said. But it didn't sound very convincing. It was more of his way of trying to shut me up, I could tell. However, I was more stubborn than he was.

"Or you could just continue to sit there, feeling alone, and stare at her from up here," I said.

He looked up at me. "Yeah, I think I'll do that." he said.

"You are a stubborn, stubborn bloke," I told him. We held a staring contest for a moment, and I won.

"Could say the same thing about you," he said. But he had already looked down and returned to working on his homework.

"Minus the bloke bit!" I complained. We both laughed, because it was a little bit funny. I was glad there was a lighter, high note to our conversation.

Classes had started to be let out, and people were walking in the hallway. I looked up to see Adam standing in the doorway. "Hey!" I said, surprised to see him there.

"Hi," he said. He didn't sound very happy, so I got worried.

I gathered my things back into my bad, and stood up. "I"ll see you later, Harry," I said, walking confidently towards Adam. I figured if I was in a good mood, it might rub off on him. I grabbed his arm, and pulled him downstairs with me.

"How was your day?" I asked him.

He just shrugged. "Why were you alone with him?"

Was he jealous? That was ridiculous, we were just friends. Even calling us friends was a bit of a stretch. "Why does it matter?" I asked, a little upset.

"Well, why would I be supportive of my girlfriend hanging out alone with other blokes?" he asked.

"Bloke. As in one," I corrected. "And I was giving him relationship advice for someone else, you git."

"Oh," he said, stopping. The frustration and anger that were previously so evident on his face melted away. "Who?" 

"Guess," I said. I thought this might be fun.

"I don't want to guess, Kat. Just tell me," he said. His voice didn't sound like it wanted to be messed with. I rea;ly, truly loved him, but sometimes he was just no fun at all.

"Ginny," I said, quietly.

"Oooh," he said, dramatically. "Well, that's interesting. Romance on the Quidditch pitch. I would be willing to bet money they won't last- Quidditch romances never do. Speaking of Quidditch, we're playing Gryffindor in the next game, even though it's not for another six weeks."

"That's exciting," I told him.

"Alex Sturgeon is coming to check me out," he told me, loads of excitement in his voice. Alex Sturgeon was the top recruiter for Quidditch. If he liked the way that Adam played, Adam would have a guarenteed career. And since he had no other options lined up for him at this point, he would have to play really well in the next match.

"Congratulations," I told him. I leaned up on my tip toes to kiss him, letting him know how proud I was of him.

"Thanks," he grinned. I was right, going into the situation this afternoon while projecting a happy mood had been contagious, and he was now smiling with me. It seemed to me like it had been a crisis averted.

A few more weeks passed, and winter was fading. We hadn't had a real snow storm in a few weeks and patches of green and brown were starting to reveal themselves under the snowy covering. I hated the transition from winter to spring, since it wasn't very nice to look at.

However, it did mean my birthday was coming up. Every year, on the twentieth day of March, I turned one year older. This year, it was on a Tuesday, which meant that the celebration was limited, however, there would still be some sort of party. And the following weekend I would be able to go get my Apparition license. I knew I would pass, so I wasn't too worried. It would make things so much more convenient this summer, because Adam would have a flat and I would be able to get there any time I wanted.

This summer... I thought towards summer with a fond feeling. This summer was going to be fantastic. I would be able to use magic and Apparate, so I could see Adam whenever I wanted. We would definitely use that to our advantage. Maybe he would be signed to a Quidditch team by then, and I could go watch him practice. I would definitely be a proud girlfriend.

But first I had to think about my birthday. I never had any idea what I wanted to get for my birthday. I usually ended up getting money from people and then spending it when I needed money. But I was kind of sick of that. I had my own money, sitting in Gringotts after I had made the deal with St. Mungo's. Although I wouldn't tell anyone, I wanted more thoughtful gifts this year.

And I ended up receiving the perfect things. Adam had gotten me a journal. It was a really nice one, too. I had never kept a journal before, but this one was so nice, it called to be filled with my story. It was a nice, soft brown leather journal, and the pages were clean and crisp. But I decided I would wait to fill it up until something exciting happened. Right now, my life was boring and stable. I wouldn't have a lot to write about.

Maybe next year would be more exciting. I would be trying to secure work for after graduation, and that would be a lot more interesting than me writing about my current, monotonous routine.

**Author's Note: Here's another chapter :) Thanks to potter-reading-coastie for beta-ing. He's done as my beta now, but managed to do a few chapters before he left. Let me know what you think :) **


	9. Chapter 9

As the weeks went by, winter melted into spring at a furious pace. Suddenly the trees were budding, flowers were blooming, and I was able to spend my free time outside, enjoying the lush Scottish countryside.

It had seemed like this year was flying by. In a week, there would be a Quidditch game. Hufflepuff was playing Gryffindor, and it was supposed to be a really good game. This year, the teams were pretty well matched. Alex Sturgeon was coming to scout, and Adam and I were both hoping it was for him. Saturday had the potential to be a perfect day. If he played well and Hufflepuff won, he would almost definitely have a job offer. At this point, that was all we could hope for.

I wanted to be there for him, so I hardly left his side the weeks before the game. I sat in the Quidditch stands in the rain to watch him practice. I did everything I could possibly do to support him.

But of course, due to something that was out of my control, really, I would screw up.

~.~

It was Wednesday afternoon, three days before the Quidditch match. I was heading from my class on the fourth floor to the Quidditch pitch, where I knew Adam would be flying. I walked quickly, not wanting to waste any time. While I walked, I fiddled with a piece of my hair that had fallen out of its holder and was starting to drive me insane.

"Kat!" someone hissed. The hallway I was in was nearly empty, so I stopped immediately. I turned around and saw Harry Potter standing in the doorway about ten paces behind me.

"Oh, hey Harry!" I called, waving to him, before quickly turning around. I was on a mission.

"No, Kat, wait!" he said, with a tone of urgency in his voice. I was a little worried. He was usually such a calm and level person around me.

"What?" I asked.

"I need your help," he said. As I took a few steps closer to him, I could see how pale and worried he looked. I realized that he was standing in the doorway to the bathroom- what was going on?

I noticed that there was blood on his hand and gulped. I couldn't help it, it was an automatic response. Whose blood was it? And where had it come from? I regretted stopping now.

With his non-bloody hand, he grabbed my arm and pulled me into the boys' bathroom. I did not want to go in there, this seemed like the start to a really bad horror movie. I dug my heels in and refused to go in any further. "What is going on?" I asked him. "I'm_not_going in there."

"I screwed up, and I need your help," he said, panic_so_evident in his voice. He pulled me just a little further, and I could see the source of the blood. Draco Malfoy lay in a pool of blood near the sinks. I couldn't help but scream. There was so much blood on the floor that I had a hard time believing he was still alive.

"What did you do to him?" I asked, turning around and looking at Harry. What kind of evil person was he? Was I next? I backed up and reached for my wand.

"It was in self defense, I promise!" he said.

"You killed him!" I said, the words getting distorted as they got caught in my throat. I kneeled down next to Draco's body and looked for a pulse.

"I didn't kill him. He's just unconscious. Don't think I'm a monster, please, you know me better than that, don't you?"

I looked up at him and he met my eyes. I could tell what he was saying was true. The Harry I knew, not well, but better than most of our peers, would not kill anyone, especially like that. Neither of us liked Draco, but if Harry had attacked him, it would have been in self defense. I lowered my wand, and started trying to heal Draco.

"What sort of spell did this?" I asked, in complete disbelief. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. This was not a run of the mill defense charm.

"I'll explain later. I don't even know what I'm going to do. I didn't mean to hurt him; I was just trying to-"

But he stopped in the middle of the sentence. I looked up, and saw why. Professor Snape stood in the doorway. We were about to get in deep trouble.

Snape did not even look at us. He rushed to Draco and began to heal him, so that no more blood was pouring out of the wounds. The silence, save for the charms Snape was using, was the most ominous thing I had ever experienced. I wanted it over with.

Once Draco was stabilized, Snape took him to the Hospital Wing. "Wait here for me," he said, before turning and leaving.

"Great," I said. "He's going to come back, and he's going to expel us. And then I will never get to have a career or-"

"I'm so sorry," he said. He leaned against the sink, his head in his hands. I could tell he had a lot more going on than I did. I was pulled out of my selfish cloud and walked over to him.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"I shouldn't have pulled you in here," he said. "I just panicked. I'm sorry. I will take full responsibility of this when he comes back. You won't get in trouble."

I wondered if that was even possible. I had, after all, tried to help him instead of reporting what had happened. I should have been more persistent with not helping him after all. I hoped that everything would work out in the end. I didn't care if I would be in detention for the rest of the term, I_would_be at the Quidditch game on Saturday.

It felt like an eternity until Professor Snape got back. In reality, it was only twenty minutes according to my watch, but I felt like it had been much, much longer.

"Come with me," he said. I looked at Harry and gulped. It would be a long, long way to his office. And all this time, I was supposed to be on the Quidditch pitch watching Adam. I wondered if I would even see Adam play on Saturday. For the sake of our relationship, I seriously hoped so.

Once we finally made it to his office, we sat down and waited. He looked at us with his beady, dark eyes, scrutinizing us. It was the absolute worst minute of my life, as there were so many unknowns. He focused on Harry for a minute, and I saw him twitch. His hand went to his head. What was Snape doing?

He broke eye contact with Harry, and looked to me. "Miss Hammond, you will receive one detention for attempting to help Mister Potter cover up the injuries he caused to Draco Malfoy. You will serve this detention Saturday at ten in the morning."

I just blinked at him. Ten in the morning was when the Quidditch game started. "Sir, is there any chance I could serve it at an alternative time?" I asked. "Saturday's the Quidditch game."

"I'm well aware," he said. From the expression on his face, I could tell there was no way I was getting around this. "Now, I would advise you to leave before I increase it to two detentions."

I grabbed my book bag and walked out of there in a bit of a daze. I left Harry in there, but at this point, I didn't even care about him. I almost wanted him to get expelled, because I was just so upset he would drag me into the situation. I wasn't that good of a friend to him, why was this my spot? Where was Ron when he needed him?

There were tears in my eyes as I realized how upset Adam would be with me. I wouldn't be there for the most important match of his season. He always called me his good luck charm, and I wouldn't be there when he needed me the most. What good was I doing him? I was a terrible girlfriend.

I stopped in the bathroom to pull myself together, but ended up sitting in the stall to cry. What a terrible day this had turned in to. I just wanted to wake up from this terrible nightmare.

I looked down at my watch, and realized it was getting close to dinner. I wondered if Adam was worried about me. I decided not to tell him tonight. I just didn't have the strength. I washed my face with some water and decided it was time to really get control of my emotions again. If I went down there looking like I cried, Adam would know something was up.

When I was convinced I looked okay, I left the bathroom. Down the hallways, I saw Harry Potter waiting for me. "Don't you think you've caused me enough harm today?" I asked him.

"I wanted to apologize," he said.

"I don't want to hear it," I told him, brushing past him, and going downstairs. Dinner had already started, and I took my seat next to Adam.

"Hey, babe," he said, throwing an arm around me. I leaned in to the embrace. "Where were you today? I was worried."

"I've had an awful day, Adam," I told him.

"What happened?" he asked.

I just shook my head. "I don't want to talk about it," I told him. "But I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry about it," he told me. "You've been so supportive. Why don't you take the next few days off? I need my good luck charm on full power Saturday, you know?"

I looked down in my mashed potatoes, guilt seeping into my brain. "Of course," I told him, putting my head on his shoulder. "I know you'll come out of Saturday with an offer to play for a team."

We went back to the Common Room, and sat with Adam for the rest of the night. I knew I was being needy and clingy, but to be completely honest, I didn't care. When he found out that I wouldn't be at the match on Saturday, he would never forgive me. I wanted to enjoy the last few hours I had with him.

"Are you okay, Kat?" he asked, looking at me.

I nodded. "Like I said, just a terrible day," I told him.

"I love you," he whispered.

I nodded. "Love you too," I said.

"And whatever is bothering you... well, we will get through it, I promise. I'm here when you're ready to talk," he told me.

I wanted to cry again, I was feeling so guilty. It would all change, I knew, when he found out what was going to happen.

I was so screwed.

~.~

The next day during Potions, Hermione met me outside the classroom. "I'm going to work with Ron today," she told me.

That means I would have to work with Harry. I was so completely against that idea. I didn't even want to look at him right now, let alone work with him. "No,_please_," I begged her.

"Harry told me about what happened yesterday, and I think you two need to talk," she said.

"You're not being a very good friend right now," I hissed at her. By now, we were at our table in the classroom, though, and I couldn't do much about it.

Harry was already waiting for me at the table. I didn't even look at him.

Slughorn talked for a few minutes before giving us today's assignment. It was a simple potion, really just busy work. I was not impressed. "Look, Kat-" he started, as I began to gather the tools we would need.

"I told you already, I don't want to hear it," I said. "Now make yourself useful and go get these ingredients from the cupboard."

"Not until you hear me out," he said.

"What could you possibly have to say to me that would make this better? Because of you, I'm missing the single most important game my boyfriend has ever played in. How am I supposed to explain that to him, huh?" I asked. I took the list out of his hand and went to the supply cupboard myself.

I knew I wasn't being very nice about it, but I didn't really care at this point. The only thing that mattered to me was making sure my relationship with Adam survived the weekend.

"If you would remember, I am also serving detention on Saturday, and am also playing in the game," he said when I returned and started chopping the ingredients. I was being very jealous with my chopping today. Of course I remembered. I had heard so many times that Harry was his rival in this match, and before, hadn't really cared. Now I wanted Adam to annihilate him.

"You're seriously not helping your case," I told him.

"Right," he said, "like I was saying. I've got a really great plan. It's almost foolproof, but it's complicated. Do you want to hear me out?"

I looked him in the eyes and saw that he was being pretty honest with me. "What do I have to lose?" I wondered out loud.

"Now, that's the spirit," he said. "How familiar are you with Polyjuice Potion?"

I turned and looked at him again. "_No._" I said. That was very dangerous and probably illegal.

"No, listen. You come serve your detention, and I'll keep tabs on the Quidditch game. When it's over, I'll have Hermione come in and take on your identity, finishing out the shift for you, while you can sneak down to the Hufflepuff locker room and join Adam in congratulating him. He will never know you weren't in the crowd that day."

It did sound like a doable plan, though I wasn't completely sure if I was okay with it. "I'll think about it," I told him.

I thought about it for the rest of the day. I weighed the options, and from the start, I knew which one would win. But it took a little while to admit it to myself; that was for sure. I tried to tell Adam at dinner that I wouldn't be at the game, but I could just foresee how crushed he would be, or how angry he would get. It would destroy us.

So I sought out Harry after dinner. "I'll do it," I told him.

"Good," he said. It was his turn to walk away from me. I guessed I deserved it.

I would spend every free second of the next two days praying that his plan worked.

**Author's Note: Thanks for all the really great reviews over the past few days. I really appreciate all the feedback and hope you will continue to let me know what you think :) Thanks to potter-reading-coastie for betaing this chapter. Thanks all!**


	10. Chapter 10

Saturday came, and I was feeling a little unsure. I could only hope that today's plan would go off without a hitch.

Adam was really nervous. At breakfast, he would hardly eat, which was very unlike him.

"What's wrong?" I asked him, brushing his long fringe out of his eyes.

"Just feeling uneasy about today," he said. "I've got a bad feeling."

I studied his face, but thought he was just being paranoid. "It's called hunger, now here. Eat this toast," I placed a piece of toasted rye bread in front of him and he nibbled on the crust. "I have never seen anyone practice as hard for today as you have. You will be fine."

He just nodded, though he obviously didn't believe me. Eventually, he gave up on eating and headed down to the locker room to prepare. I hoped he would be okay.

Harry and I met in Snape's office to get out assignment for the day's detention assignment. I was still not very happy with Harry, but I was working to be more civil. He had potentially saved me from definitely ruining my relationship with Adam, and I had to be grateful for that.

"You'll be going through files for Mr. Filch today," Snape said, leading us to a room on the first floor that was full of files. "Sort them. If they are damaged, make a new file. You are to begin with the box one thousand and twelve, and are not to leave until box one thousand and fifty six is complete."

I mentally calculated that we had forty four boxes to sort through, which meant twenty two each. I wondered how long that could possibly take us.

After Snape left, I saw that these boxes contained a hundred files a piece. This would take a very, very long time.

I started at one end and he started with the other. We worked in silence for awhile, but after twenty minutes when I was still on the same box, I began to get bored. "Still not with Ginny?" I asked him.

"Nope," he said, sighing as he moved on to his second box.

"Really, I don't understand the big deal," I told him. "What is stopping you again?"

"Lots of things," he told me, "too much of a back story there."

"It's like you don't want to be happy," I told him.

He just shrugged. "It's not that," he told me. "Really, it isn't."

"Are you nervous about it?" I asked.

"Well, no," he said, but I could see hesitation all over his face. "I mean, yeah, maybe, but that's not a huge factor."

"I guess I'm lucky that Adam was straightforward with me about fancying me," I said. I had finished my third box of filing now, but we still had many more to go.

"He means... an awful lot to you," he commented, and there was a weird tone to his voice.

I wanted to know what he meant. "Why do you say it like that?" I asked.

"Well, look at the lengths we're going to in order to make him think you're at this game of his today," he said. "You freaked out when you found out you couldn't go, thinking your relationship was over. Isn't that... a little harsh? Shouldn't you want to break up with anyone who wants to dump you for something like that?"

I could see his point, but it was _different_. Our relationship was under a lot of strain this year, and we didn't need any more. "I love Adam," I told him.

"Apparently," he commented.

"He means everything to me," I said. I hadn't ever really vocalized my feelings to Adam, other than telling him that I loved him. "He is my family... I can't wait until we're both out of school and working and we have our own flat. I don't really have... a family, you know. My mum died when I was little and my dad married this awful woman... anyways, I always have Adam. He's my best friend and I love him. I'm not losing him because you were an idiot."

He was quiet for a bit after that, which was fine. I tried to get really focused on the boxes, so that hopefully I would be able to catch the end of the game. I wondered what the score was...

"Oh, hey! This card has your dad's name on it," I said, looking at it more closely than I had looked at the previous ones. I tried to figure out what said, but he took it.

"Cool," he said. He paused to read the card, which was fine, but it slowed him down. I was getting through my boxes quickly, but he was slowing me down. I hadn't expected that, as he was much better with charms than I was.

I could hear a massive cheer from outside, and wondered what that meant. "No offense," I said. "But I seriously hope we win today."

He shrugged. "Ginny took my spot as a Seeker, she's pretty good," he said.

"Adam has worked so hard for this," I told him. "I'm sure she's good, but it's one game. Adam's got a whole career riding on this."

"Is he getting scouted?" he asked.

"Yeah, Alex Sturgeon was coming today," I said. I knew that Harry would know who that was, since he would definitely have a career option in Quidditch.

"Oh, for him too?" he asked. "He was coming to watch me play, but I'm not interested in a Quidditch career."

I just nodded. "And I seriously hope he gets something, anything, really, just so long as he can have something to do next year."

"Well, I hope so too," he said, before returning to work on the boxes. From there on, we worked efficiently as possible.

I was on box twenty, but the game still was not over. I heard a metallic noise, and Harry jumped. He pulled a coin out of his pocket, and I was confused- what did he need a Galleon for?

"The game's over," he told me, looking up from the coin. "Hermione's on her way."

I stood up and collected my stuff. "Who won?" I asked, nervously. I didn't want to hear him say what I was pretty sure he was about to say.

"I don't know," he said. "These were from Dumbledore's Army last year; all I know is that Hermione is coming."

Harry handed me the vial of Polyjuice Potion. I raked my hand through my hair and caught a loose strand to add to it.

By the time Hermione slipped in the doorway, she was out of breath. My heart was pounding in my chest as I waited in anticipation to find out who won.

"I'm so sorry," she said. "Ginny caught the Snitch and won the game."

I let out the breath of air I hadn't noticed I had been holding in. "Thank you so much, Hermione," I said, before brushing past her to go find Adam.

~.~

I waited outside the Hufflepuff locker rooms for a long time. I watched as every player left the room, except for one. The expressions on their faces weren't cheerful, but I knew Adam would be even worse.

Finally, the last player besides Adam left. Penny McArthur, the reserve chaser and seeker, stopped to actually acknowledge me.

"He's still in there,"she said, chewing on her lip. "I'd go in and make sure he's okay."

"Thanks," I said. I found Adam sitting on a bench in the locker room. He had showered and dressed, but his hair was still wet and he didn't look like he was planning on going anywhere. His held his hands in his head.

"Adam," I said softly. I knew he heard me, but he didn't look up. I walked over to the bench and sat next to him, wrapping my arm around him. "I'm so sorry."

"Alex Sturgeon didn't even _stay_," he told me. I could see he was holding in tears of disappointment. I had no idea how I could possibly make him feel better from this point.

"Maybe he was sick," I pointed out, trying to be optimistic.

He snorted, and I could see his eyes. But it only took a second for him to sink back in to himself again. "Doubt it," he said. "I played terribly. I was so focused on practicing to build the skills that would beat Harry that I didn't consider the possibility he would be... wherever he was today."

"Detention," I said and he looked up in genuine surprise.

"How do you know?" he asked, looking up.

"Hermione told me." I said. "But believe me, you played really, really well...Please don't take this as hard as you are."

"I'm acting like this because I care about Quidditch! Because I now have nothing to offer anyone anymore. I'm not going to have a career and I'm not going to be able to take care of you and my parents won't be proud of me and I have absolutely _nothing_." He choked.

"That's not true," I said, leaning forward to kiss him. "You have me. And I've got some money saved up if you need it. We could rent a flat together this summer, and I'll pay for it, and then you'll have time to find a job until we can figure something out."

"I'm not taking hand outs from my girlfriend, Kat," he said. "I want to have something that will make my parents proud of me."

"I know," I said. He wanted so greatly to make his parents proud of him. He struggled with his family so much, all he wanted was to hear his father tell him how proud he was. I thought it was pretty admirable. "It's one of the reasons I love you so much."

"I love you too, Kat," he said, leaning in to kiss me. I curled my fingers in his hair, even though it was wet. I pulled him close to me.

"Adam," we both jumped when someone called his name. I moved off of him and stood up. Whoever it was wouldn't be happy to find us like this.

His father came into view as he rounded the lockers. Adam stood up, trying to make things look okay. I knew it wasn't a good thing that I was here. His father did not like me, although I wasn't sure why. I was a good girlfriend to Adam, came from a good family, and had more prospects than Adam did.

"Oh, Katherine," he said, as he saw me. "What are you doing back here?"

"She was just coming to say hi," Adam said, placing his arm around my waist.

"Ah, that's what they're calling it these days," his father said, his eyes cruel.

"I'll head up to the Common Room," I told Adam. "I'll see you later."

He just nodded. I knew that he was about to get grilled by his father and he would come back in a state even worse than how I had left him. I just wanted him to be happy. As I walked to the Common Room, I tried to figure out what I could do to make him happy. I would send off to Honeydukes for his favorite candies to surprise him. That would be a good start... but I wanted him to know just how much I loved and appreciated him. He didn't need a stupid job to make me love him.

On my way up to the Common Room, I ran in to Harry. He looked really happy. "Oh, Kat- you're just the person I was looking for," he said.

"Did everything go smoothly?" I asked, concerned.

"Yeah, he never suspected a thing," he told me. "Anyways, that's not what I wanted to tell you- I kissed Ginny."

My jaw dropped a little. I hadn't expected him to actually make a move. "Congratulations," I said. "I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks," he said. "Me too!"

"So why are you out here?" I asked him. "Go find your girl!"

"Yeah, you're right," he said. "Thanks, Kat!"

"You're welcome..." I trailed off, but Harry was already gone. He was really nice. Although he had gotten me in a ton of trouble, I didn't mind having him as a friend. And seeing him happy made me happy. I was glad for that friendship.

~.~

After two hours, when Adam hadn't shown up to the Common Room, I was definitely worried. I knew he was exhausted and needed some rest, and there was no way he had gotten up to the dorms without me seeing.

It had started to rain, and I was becoming irritable. Worrying made me feel awful. I just wanted to find Adam and wrap my arms around him tight. I paced when I was anxious, and was doing an awful lot of it today.

Finally, he showed up in the Common Room. He was soaking wet and looked awful. "Adam," I said, reaching out to pull him close. He could have been frozen, but I didn't care. I just wanted him in my arms to reassure me. He slipped away from me though. "What... happened?"

"I'm never going to amount to anything," he said. His eyes were so empty. His father had absolutely destroyed him. He had taken my already crushed boyfriend and destroyed every ounce of hope in him.

"Shh..." I hushed him. Now wasn't the time.

"Don't shush me!" he said, loud enough that the whole Common Room quieted and watched us instead.

"Adam," I choked. I was embarrassed and upset, and all I wanted to do was get close to him. "Can we do this somewhere else?"

He sighed angrily, and went upstairs, leaving me alone, wondering if there was anything I could do. Why was he taking this out on me when all I wanted was to be there for him?

~.~

**Adam's Point of View**

After my father and I watched Kat leave, I could feel the tension rolling in waves between us. I knew whatever he had to say wasn't going to be pleasant. Little did I know how crushing it would be.

After Kat was out of sight, he started in on me.

"That was the most pathetic and disgraceful thing I have ever seen. Did you even practice?" he yelled. "I cannot believe you would blow such an opportunity like this. You were beaten by a pathetic girl!"

I opened my mouth to retort but realized too late that I had nothing to say, I had played rather horribly because I had trained for going up against Harry Potter, who flew much differently than Weasley. Speaking of him, where was he today? My father had a guess about that.

"Not only were you beaten by her, but Harry Potter must have known you wouldn't be a challenge, so he sent her in his place. If you were a decent flyer he would have been here."

That couldn't be true could it? Did Potter really think that? Before I could think about it much more, my father continued.

"You know it to be true don't you? That you are so pathetic, no one cares to watch you play. I saw the recruiter leave eighteen minutes after the match started! Most people get scouted for an entire game! Even if they don't end up getting recruited! It was a disgrace!"

He stopped and stared at me, so I assumed his rant was over.

I was wrong. It was just a temporary ceasefire.

"And guess what; I was right about that little tart, Katherine!"

That stopped me cold, but I had to ask, "What do you mean you were right?"

"That little girl doesn't even care about you. I bet as soon as you graduate, if you even do, that she will leave you."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, panic setting in.

My father laughed a cold and cruel laugh, "Except show up to your games!"

That stopped me cold.

He continued, "You didn't even notice did you? She wasn't in the stands during the game; I saw her walk out of the castle after your worthless self lost the game. Then she walks into the locker-room, you, being an idiot, didn't suspect anything! You are so pathetic that even your girlfriend doesn't bother to show up to your games! You are worthless and will never amount to anything."

And with that parting comment, he turned and left. I just sat down, not believing what he had just told me.

It couldn't be true could it? Had Kat been in the stands? I couldn't remember seeing her. I needed some time to think, so even though I had just taken one, I stepped into the shower.

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the long wait guys! I'm all over the place lately. I'll try and get them out more regularly. Not having a beta is making me really lax about it, and I've decided not to have a beta for the rest of this story, but will pick one up with the next story :) This chapter celebrates the release of the last Harry Potter movie. I've seen it already (in Harvard Square! Early release! woo!) and it was fantastic, everyone will enjoy it. Bring tissues! HUGE thanks to potter-reading-coastie, who betaed this AND wrote Adam's POV at the end. Thanks! :D Anyways, enjoy the chapter, and let me know what you think.


	11. Chapter 11

My relationship with Adam was no doubt, on the rocks. It seemed like his relationship with everyone was on the rocks though. I was really worried about him. He was hardly eating, hardly spending time outside of his dorms... and not really talking to me.

I gave him a few days, but he just seemed to get worse. I wanted my boyfriend back. So I cornered him, because I wanted to know what was wrong and how I could help.

"What can I do to help you?" I asked him, coming up behind him.

"Leave me alone," he said.

This was going to be harder than I anticipated. "Sorry," I told him. "It's not that easy... I'm worried about you. I love you."

"Oh, really?" he asked, finally turning around to look at me. His eyes were full of anger and I was a little afraid to be alone with him.

"Why do you say it like that?" I asked, confused.

"Because you would think, if you loved me, that you would have actually showed up to my Quidditch game!"

I gasped. I thought I had completely covered that. "How did you know?"

"Do you know how terrible it is to find out from your father that your girlfriend didn't even bother coming to your game?" he asked. He started to walk away from me, but I wasn't ready for this to be over.

"Adam!" I shouted, trying to get him to stop. "I can explain. I promise! Just listen to me."

"You better have a damn good reason," he told me. "You have sixty seconds."

I had to think quickly. "Okay so the Wednesday before your game I was walking down to the pitch to watch you practice when Harry-" at that point I realized I wouldn't be able to tell him everything. It wasn't my story to tell.

"Why did you stop?" He asked.

"I..." I trailed off. "Look, Adam... it was something out of my control."

"But why did you lie about it?" he asked. His tone was harsh and I felt terrible. I had no idea how I was going to save us.

"Because I didn't want to upset you," I admitted. "You had been practicing for weeks and you were so wrapped up in it, I knew if I upset you... things wouldn't go well. I had your best interests in mind!"

"I don't even want to look at you, Kat," he said. "I thought you loved me. I thought we had a real, good relationship here. But I don't think so anymore."

Hearing him say this absolutely crushed me. We did have a good relationship! I may not have been completely honest with him, but I loved him. I cared about him. I wanted the best for him. I choked up and started crying. He just walked away from me.

I had lost my best friend and my boyfriend in one swift move, and to make matters worse, I was crying in the middle of an empty hallway. I figured the best possible thing for me right now was to get back to my dorm, but that was a long walk. Luckily, I knew the castle well, and didn't have to rely on my foggy brain or blurred vision.

"Kat?" I heard my name as I walked down a staircase and froze. I was pretty sure I had heard Harry call my name. I was hesitant to turn around, as last time I had run into him it hadn't ended so well. "Kat!"

I turned around, and sure enough, he stood at the top of the stairs, holding Ginny's hand. "Oh, hi," I said, waving over my shoulder.

"What's wrong?" he called. I just wanted him to leave me alone. I wanted to go to my bed and cry, not make a scene here.

"Nothing," I said. "I'll see you in class."

I heard him say something to Ginny before following me down the stairs. "Wait for me," he called.

I didn't want him to follow me, though. I just wanted to be alone, and thought he should have stayed with his girlfriend. But he was persistent and caught up with me. "I really think you should go back to Ginny," I told him.

"We were just going to the library anyways," he said. "What happened?"

I figured I might as well tell him, since it didn't appear he would be leaving me alone until I did. "Adam's Dad knew I wasn't at the Quidditch game and told him," I said.

"Oh, shit," he swore. "I... I'm so sorry, Kat."

"Don't be," I said. "You did everything you could to help me... his father has never liked me and now he'll be happy."

He put his arm around me and I leaned in to accept his hug. "Can I do anything?"

I shook my head. "No thanks," I sighed.

"I'll walk you to your Common Room," he said. I appreciated it. He didn't press for more information, which was great. He was just there, making sure I was okay.

I felt a little better that I had a friend. I knew he would probably talk to Hermione, who would come find me tomorrow to talk. "Have a nice night, Kat," he said, as we reached the entrance to the Common Room.

"You too," I said, and he turned and left.

~.~

I felt better after a good night's sleep, but still wanted to make things better. Luckily the next day was a Saturday, so I didn't have to go through the motions of class or anything. I laid in bed until I was so hungry my stomach forced me to wake up.

Hermione was waiting for me in the Great Hall, even though I was sure she had eaten hours ago. "Harry told me what happened," she said. "I'm here for you, if you want to talk."

"Thank you," I said. "I'm... not sure what to say, though. I don't think I can do anything at this point."

"I'm sure you can," she said. "You two have been together for what- almost a year and a half? That's a lot to just throw away."

"He sounded serious. He's really hurt, with reason. I lied to him. I let him down... I was a bad girlfriend. Plus he's feeling terrible because he didn't get scouted, and he doesn't have a job lined up for next year. His family isn't being supportive and he just has a lot of bad things going on."

"I don't think you were a bad girlfriend," she told me. "Just take a few days to calm down and then... maybe you can discuss things for real and work things out."

"I hope so..." I sighed.

~.~

Time passed quickly. Adam didn't want to discuss anything with me though. I tried a couple different times, and every time, he just shut down or walked away. After two agonizing weeks, I was pretty sure we were over, for good. It was terrible, but I tried not to think about it for the sake of my sanity. I needed to get through school before I could break down.

I was lucky to have good friends as well. Hermione had been watching out for me, and I was so lucky to have a friend like her. I was pretty much welcomed into her friend group.

The term was drawing to a close rather quickly. A few weeks before the Seventh Years graduated, Adam found me. I wondered what he wanted, exactly. Did he have things of mine that he wanted to give back?

"Hey," he said.

"Hey back," I said. I wasn't going to give him any satisfaction in thinking I would jump back into his arms.

"Can we take a walk?" he asked. "I have something I want to tell you."

"Sure," I said, following him. We walked out to the courtyard. Since it had just cleared after a rain shower, it was deserted. "What's... going on?"

"So... last week, I got a letter," he said.

"From...?" I trailed off, confused. Obviously, it was a big deal if he had felt the need to come talk to me about it. I just wanted him to get to the point.

"Alex Sturgeon," he said. "Anyways, he said that he wanted to come watch me in a practice. He came yesterday and watched me, and today I got a letter offering me a reserve spot on the Ballycastle Bats!"

"Oh my God!" I said, throwing my arms around him and giving him a tight squeeze. "How exciting! Congratulations!"

This was perfect. I still did care a ton for Adam, and I was so happy for him. This was exactly what he needed, and I couldn't have been more pleased. Ballycastle was in Northern Ireland, and they were an okay team. If he played well, and I knew he would, he would probably have a starting spot on a better team in a few years' time. This was what he deserved.

"I know!" he said. He swung me around a bit. The grin on his face made my heart beat faster. Oh, I had missed him so much.

"I'm so happy for you," I told him. "I think that's really great."

He set me down. "I'm very happy about it too," he told me. "How's your life going?"

I shrugged. "I've been busy with school..." I told him."I miss you..."

He nodded before saying anything. "Well, I miss you too, Kat," he said. "I... I wanted to apologize. I never heard your side of the story. I should have waited and listened. Being without you... I learned I don't like it. I really do love you."

Hearing him say those words made me feel so much better. The pain I had been suffering the last few weeks was erased. "I love you too," I told him.

"Do you think... that maybe, we could get back together?" he asked hopefully. "Because, I would really like that."

I giggled. "Sure," I said. It was what I really wanted. He pulled me flush against him and kissed me. Everything was going to be okay.

~.~

That Friday night, Adam and I sat in the Common Room. It had been a long week and I just wanted to sit and relax for awhile. Adam supported my desire.

"Hey, Kat," a younger student said, coming into my field of vision, "someone outside wants to see you."

I was intrigued, and nodded. "I'll be right back," I told Adam.

"Don't leave," he said, trying to hold me with him.

"I'll be gone a minute, I promise," I said, smiling. I walked outside and saw Hermione waiting for me.

"Kat, good," she said. Her face was creased with lines of worry and I was concerned. "Something's happened."

"What do you mean?" I asked, a little hesitant.

"Have you got your wand?" she asked.

I felt for it in my pocket and pulled it out. "Yeah, why?"

"The castle's been broken into and we need to go fight," she said.

I gasped. The castle couldn't have been broken in to. That was impossible. "No way," I said.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" she asked, getting short with me. I knew she was just anxious, though. "Harry's with Dumbledore. He would want us to fight. Ron's got a few people assembled upstairs, and I thought you might want in... I mean, I haven't seen you duel but I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Is Harry okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, he's fine. Here, take a sip of this," she thrust a vial into my hands as we walked down a corridor. I inspected it quickly to figure out what exactly it was, but soon realized it was Felix Felicis, and would really help.

"Awesome," I said, taking a sip. I didn't know how much to take, so I just filled the cap. By the looks of it, it would give me an hour or so of luck. I hoped that would be enough. She took the vial back and took a larger swallow for herself before putting the vial in her pocket.

"Look, I don't know what's going to happen up here," she said. "But... good luck, Kat. Stay alert, stay focused, and remember, you've got to mean your spells. You're a great friend."

"You too," I managed to spit out. Her telling me that made me aware of the gravity of our situation.

Apparently we were set up in an empty classroom. I heard professors down the hall trying to get the school into a lock down. So what we were doing was against the rules. Oh well. That didn't seem to be our biggest problem at the moment.

Ron and Hermione were trying to figure out the best way to go about our counter attack. They seemed almost prepared for this. Ginny paced along one wall of the classroom, and a few of their friends sat around waiting to be told what to do.

I felt awkward and out of place here. It took a lot longer than I thought it would for them to tell us what to do, a good half hour anyways. For the first time, I thought of Adam. No doubt, he was worried about me. I had told him I would be right back and that hadn't happened. I hoped he wouldn't be upset with me.

Finally, Hermione came over to me. "Kat, you come with me," she said, "you too, Ginny, and you, Neville."

I followed her, and we slowly, quietly made our way down to the grounds. We could see some fighting going on, as colored light appeared across the lawns. If it wasn't so absolutely terrifying, one would think there were some very colorful fireflies out on the otherwise beautiful spring night.

"Remember," Hermione said, slowly. "Keep calm, keep alert, and keep focused."

I was completely unprepared for an actual battle... it seemed like everyone I was with was way better at this stuff. I tried to just keep behind them, even if that made me a coward.

But somehow, I got separated from my group. I spied Hermione off in the distance, taking on a witch. I was left alone to duel on my own, and I was doing terribly.

"KAT!" I heard, not recognizing the voice. I turned my head to look, and that was enough of a distraction for me. My opponent took that as an opportunity to hit me with a spell that brought me down, my arm and chest in agonizing pain so excruciating that I wanted to die. I could feel a warm, wetness that I quickly determined was my blood. Then, the whole world went dark.

**Author's Note: A little more excitement, eh? Thanks to potter-reading-coastie for betaing this chapter. Let me know what you think, everyone :) Thanks!**


	12. Chapter 12

The first thing that I was aware of was a splitting headache. Then, the intensity of the bright lights. Together, it made me _so_ nauseous.

I sat up, and became aware of where I was- the Hospital Wing. However, more importantly I became aware that I was about to vomit. Unfortunately, there was nothing in my stomach to get the satisfaction of throwing up, and I just heaved a few times.

Well, that was one way to tell people I was awake. Also, for the first time I noticed that I was in pain in placed other than my head. My whole left side was very, very sore. And there was a sharp pain from my right shoulder down my chest.

"Katherine!" my father said, coming behind the screen that surrounded my bed. I noticed my brother following him.

"Dad," I said, weakly. My mouth was dry and rough, so it came out a little warped.

Dad gave me a hug, but it hurt so I winced and pulled away. "Oh, right- I'm sorry, hun, I forgot. How are you feeling?"

"Awful," I told him, burrowing into my pillow and away from the light. The events of tonight were slowly coming back to me. I wondered how everyone was. I sincerely hoped that I was the only one injured, but knew that was unlikely.

"I'll go get Madame Pomfrey," Rob said.

"What were you doing out of your dorm?" Dad asked. "The school was on lock down, you were violating rules."

His tone wasn't accusatory, it was just curious. "They needed me," I said. "Was anyone else hurt?"

"Yes," he said, softly. "But it doesn't matter who... all that matters is that you will be okay."

I didn't have the energy to fight that, and just wanted some pain potion. Luckily, Rob was back with Madame Pomfrey. "Sit up, dear," she said.

I did, although it was hard. I just hurt in so many different places, in so many different ways. She handed me a small vial of pain potion, which I took in one big sip and choked on the terrible taste.

"Your bleeding is controlled, and I'll set you up with some potions to speed the healing. You got hit with a cutting curse, and fell pretty hard on your side. I would like to keep you overnight, for sure," Madame Pomfrey said.

"Unfortunately, I would like to take her home as soon as possible, hopefully tonight," Dad said.

"Sir, the school year is not over," Madame Pomfrey said. "Katherine will be back on her feet in a few days and will only miss a minimal amount of classes."

"I don't find Hogwarts to be a safe environment for my daughter anymore," Dad said "I'm pulling her out."

"Dad!" I said, completely shocked. I didn't want to leave. I wanted to be here more than ever! This wasn't fair. He hadn't even asked me.

"Katherine, be quiet," he said, "Who should I talk to regarding these matters?"

"Er," she looked a bit confused. "You can come with me, sir."

"Dad!" I said, louder this time. "I'm not leaving, you didn't even ask me!"

But he was gone, and I was alone with Rob. "Professor Dumbledore was killed a few hours ago, Kat," he said.

It was like having ice dumped all over me- I was in total shock. "W-what?" I asked, uneasy. That was impossible. I didn't think anyone could kill him.

"I know," he said. "Dad is just concerned for your safety... I'm sorry."

"Can't you do something? I'm safe here, I promise."

He sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry, I've got to support him with this..." he trailed off. A moment later, he started speaking again. "I have to apologize."

"For what?" I asked, lifting my head up.

"Calling after you out there," he said. "It was incredibly stupid. I'm a terrible Auror, I should know better than to call after someone who is dueling."

"That was you?" I asked, not believing it. He was the reason I was here right now! It was all his fault. Well, not all his fault, but if I hadn't been distracted, I may be in a much better state... and my father wouldn't be involved and I'd get to stay at school!

He nodded. "I was just so worried when I saw you dueling one of them out there, you're a terrible dueler, I wanted you to be okay."

"Ugh!" I cried into my pillow. I was just too upset. "I'm too tired for this."

"Then sleep," he told me. "It's well after midnight."

I wanted to ask who else was hurt or killed. I feared the worst for my friends. But I didn't want the news to come from Robert. He was being incredibly unsympathetic, but that was probably because it was the middle of the night. I just closed my eyes, but I was too uneasy to actually sleep.

"Kat! You're awake!" Hermione said, coming behind the curtain, but staying half outside.

"Hi!" I said. I knew, if my father got his way, this would probably be the last time I would see her until, well, I didn't know when.

"Harry wants to know if he can come in," she asked.

"Of course," I said. I was so happy to see them alive, but wondered where Ron was.

Hermione came over to me, and gave me a hug. I didn't hug back because it would hurt. "How bad are you hurt?" she asked.

"I'll be fine," I told them. "I'm just a little banged up. How are you two?"

"We both made it out without a scratch," Harry said. "Ron and Ginny too- they're just busy. One of their brothers got hurt. It seems like everyone is going to make it through all right."

"You heard about Dumbledore, right?" Hermione asked.

I nodded, and tears spring fresh in my eyes. "It's so hard to wrap my mind around it," I said.

Harry just sighed, and stared off into space. "Yeah..." he said.

I wasn't sure how to break it to them that I was leaving. Part of me wanted to not tell them, but I knew that wasn't fair. "My dad's making me leave," I said slowly.

"No!" they both said at the same time.

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"My father no longer feels I am safe here," I said, the words slow and deliberate. I couldn't look at them, I just picked at a threat on the sheet.

"He's wrong," Harry said. "You are safe here. Safer than anywhere else, I bet."

"He's not going to change his mind," Rob said, speaking for the first time since my friends had entered the room. "He wants you to be safe, Kat, and he'll do whatever he has to."

"So he'll take her home, where there aren't any safety curses? Do you know how easy it would be to attack you there?" Harry asked. He was getting really upset. He must have been upset about Dumbledore and it was bleeding over into this.

"I know," I said. "But I'll be okay..."

Hermione sighed. "I'll miss you," she told me.

"I'll miss you too," I said. "But it's not that long until school is over and then we can hang out. Will you let Adam know what's going on? I'm sure he's worried sick about me."

"Of course," she said.

Harry moved closer to me and I was a little surprised he gave me a hug. "Won't be the same without you," he said.

I wiped a smudge of dirt off his face with my thumb and tried to smile. "I'm sure you'll be okay."

He nodded. "Yeah..." he said.

Dad came back behind the curtain then, and it was very crowded. "Your things are being collected," he said. "We'll be ready to go in about an hour." He looked to my friends.

"We'll write you," Hermione said, and I knew they were leaving.

I just waved. When they were gone, I curled up on my unbruised side. Luckily, that allowed me to face away from both my brother and father. I wasn't very happy with either of them. They were treating me like I was four and had no thoughts for myself. Plus, my exhaustion was starting to catch up on me, and I just wanted to sleep. Sleeping would mean getting to ignore everything that had happened in the last six or so hours.

I drifted in and out of sleep, but didn't want to get too comfortable. I would be leaving soon anyways, and would have to go home. I had no idea how we were going to get there. I didn't feel well enough to Aparate, as that would mean having to walk to outside of the grounds. We wouldn't be able to Floo, as Dad's house didn't have a Floo hook up. A portkey didn't sound like the most fun way to travel either.

Almost exactly an hour later, Madame Pomfrey came back with a bunch of potions for me. "Pain salve, bruise salve, pain potion, and a Dreamless Sleep potion," she said. "You should rest a lot for the next week. Don't do any heavy lifting. You should be all healed in about ten days."

I nodded. "Okay," I said. I just wanted to sleep, though.

Getting up and out of the bed was especially hard, but I did it just because I knew I wouldn't get to sleep until I did. Rob helped me walk and Dad carried my things. I hoped whoever had packed for me had gotten everything, but I would write my friends if they hadn't. I so wished this wasn't happening, I just did not have the energy to fight back against Dad right now.

But that didn't stop me from crying as we started to leave. I was leaving people that were really my family, because my father was forcing me to. That didn't seem very fair to me, and I had so many different emotions in me. I was angry, sad, anxious, lonely... I missed Adam and wanted to talk to him.

"You'll be okay," Rob said.

"No, I won't," I said. I was being a little mean, but I didn't care at all.

Dad pulled out a portkey, and took my other arm. It seemed they were going to help me take it. I just shut my eyes, and waited for the spinning. It was terrible and made me more nauseous, but at the end of it, I was so glad to be in Dad's house. I had never been so happy to be here.

A clock on the wall told me it was after three in the morning. Rob helped me up the stairs and to my bedroom, where he sat near my feet. "I know this sucks," he told me. I reached for the Dreamless Sleep potion, knowing I wasn't strong enough to put up with any nightmares tonight. "But Dad really does have your best interests in mind. We both love you."

I sighed. "Good night, Rob," I said.

He got up off my bed, kissed my forehead, and left. I closed my eyes and turned on my unbruised side. It didn't take long to drift off into a very deep sleep.

~.~

It took a long time for me to heal. The bruises turned many hideous colors as they began to fade. The pain from my bruise wasn't too bad, but the gash on my shoulder more than made up for it. I stayed in bed every day the first week. Part of it was because I was too upset to face people. Rob came to visit a few times. It was three days before I saw Cecelia or Madeline, but that didn't bother me at all. I took my meals in my bedroom and didn't really talk to Dad. I was still so upset with him.

Surprisingly, the first letter I received was from Harry. He wanted to know how I was feeling. He told me about Dumbledore's funeral. I was surprised about how beautiful he made it sound. I enjoyed talking to him, though.

I had to write to Adam twice before getting a response from him. I desperately wanted to go to his graduation, but Dad would not let me. I was very upset, but what else was new? Adam didn't seem to understand that I wanted to be there. His letters were short and full of terse remarks. I asked him to visit me when he got home, but he never seemed to want to make concrete plans.

Luckily, I was back up on my feet quickly after the battle. I felt better with every passing day. That had an unfortunate side, though, as it meant I had to start working at Vera's coffee shop. I didn't mind it that much when I got the right shifts, but sometimes my days were so long I felt like Vera was doing it just to keep me away from the family.

I liked the late night shifts. The coffee shop was open until midnight, and there was usually only one person working. It was quiet, and the people that were there usually tipped a decent amount. So I wasn't busy and got some time alone. Not many people wanted to work those hours, so I got to take them four or five days a week. I enjoyed the peacefulness of the city at night. Taking the train home at midnight was really enjoyable.

Hermione came and visited a lot of nights. She usually came with a book and read in the corner until it was slow, and then we would talk for awhile. "I'll be going to the Weasleys soon," she said. "But I don't know exactly when..."

"Oh," I replied. I wasn't sure what she meant by that. "Why?"

"They need me," she said. She kept staring into her mug of tea. "It's... complicated. There's _so_ much you don't know, Kat."

"Well, you can tell me," I offered. "I'll listen."

"It's not my story to tell," she said. I could tell from the look on her face and the tone of her voice that she did want to tell me. But I respected that it wasn't her stuff to say.

"Whose is it?"

"Harry's," she told me.

"Maybe he'll tell me. We've been talking a lot," I said. "I get letters from him a couple times a week."

She smiled. "That's funny," she said. "Considering I can never get him to write me more than once a month during the summer."

I shrugged.

"Well, I should get going," she said, collecting her things. It was after ten, and dark outside.

"I'll see you later," I told her.

I watched her walk out the front door. I wouldn't see her again for a long time.

**Author's Note: A little intrigue at the end there, eh? Hehe. I HAVE to ask you guys a question: where are you all coming from? Did someone recommend me or something? I've had a huge influx of new followers and reviewers in the last day and can't believe it's all a coincidence! Thanks to potter-reading-coastie for betaing. Let me know what you think :)**


	13. Chapter 13

It took me awhile to figure out that I hadn't seen Hermione for awhile. I couldn't even immediately remember the last time I had seen her. Somehow, it had been a few weeks. I guessed she had probably gone to Ron's house.

I had been in a complete bubble. I was working at least five days a week and watching Madeline and Cecelia when I wasn't working. I was barely getting enough sleep, usually only four or five hours a night. The only people outside of my house that I regularly talked to were Harry and Adam. Well, actually only Harry, as Adam hadn't responded to me in over a week. I was getting a letter about once a week from Harry. He had been such a great friend to me over the past month; I had no idea to expect that from him. He was a better friend than Adam was.

I was so upset with Adam. He had absolutely failed me. He didn't seem to care about me anymore. He hadn't called, scarcely written, and didn't seem like he wanted to meet up with me, though I had tried to coordinate it many times. It was as if he thought I had left school and missed his graduation for the fun of it. I was_miserable_, and he had no idea

Every day, I was so thankful this was my last summer spent at Dad's house. Next year, I would be able to do whatever I wanted. I would be able to stay out later than the amount of time it took for me to get the train from the coffee shop and walk home. I could buy whatever food I wanted, and actually have friends over.

So I decided to rebel. Why not? Dad never waited up for me, or checked if I was home. Why did it matter, then?

One day after I closed the coffee shop, I took a different train than usual. I was headed in the right direction for home; I was just taking the long way. I stopped for a hot chocolate at a coffee shop while changing trains. And while I was there, I ran into someone I hadn't expected.

"Well, hello there, stranger," I said, pulling out a seat next to Harry Potter. What extraordinary luck I had, to meet him here at this moment. This was the universe's strange way of giving me exactly what I needed.

"Kat!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," I said, laughing. "We're not even near where you live, are we?"

He shrugged. "I was... bored," he said.

"Me too," I said. I looked down in my hot chocolate and smiled. "How's your summer been?"

"Fine," he said. "I mean... I dunno."

"I know what you mean," I told him. "Did I miss anything after I left school?"

"Nothing important," he told me. "Lots of students were pulled out... so I think you should be fine if you go back in the fall."

His use of the word 'if' piqued my interest. I always thought I would be returning to school in the fall- was that not the case? "Oh, okay," I said, for a lack of a better response. "How are things with Ginny?"

He shrugged. "They are what they are," he said. Maybe it was because it was the middle of the night and we were in a Muggle cafe that he was being so cryptic.

"You sound like a fortune cookie," I told him, and finally he cracked a smile.

"Yeah, I guess," he said. "How are things with Adam?"

It was my turn to shrug and sigh. "They are what they are," I told him, smirking. "I haven't heard from him in ten days and I have a feeling he hates me."

"I'm sorry," he told me, sounding very genuine.

"But I don't really want to talk about that," I said, trying to put my mind off it. "It's not important."

"Fine," he said, smiling. "So what are you doing out here... really?"

"Got out of work about half an hour ago, and I didn't feel like going home," I told him. "Decided to wander."

He nodded. "I just needed to get out," he said. And I was so happy he had. This was exactly what I needed right now.

The cell phone I always carried but never used started ringing. I had to fish it out of my pocket, and found that my father was calling me.

"Hello?" I asked, as my heart moved out of my chest and into my throat.

"Katherine?" he asked, sounding tired, yet concerned. "Where are you? You should have been home twenty minutes ago."

"I'm sorry," I said, trying to think fast. My brain was already trying to think of a good excuse. "There's a problem with the train... it's broken down. A replacement is on its way and I should be home soon."

"Oh," he said. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine!" I told him. "I just didn't call because you're normally asleep when I get home."

"I'll wait up for you," he said. "Hurry home."

The phone line went dead.

"Shit," I sighed. "I've got to run."

"Where are you going?" he asked, standing up. He threw money down on the table and grabbed my arm.

I explained it to him. I would have to take an above ground train into the city, and then one of the tube lines to the last stop, then walk fifteen minutes home.

"Isn't that a dangerous walk home?" he asked. "Especially at this time of night?"

"Not when you've got a wand in your pocket," I explained.

"Huh," he said. "I'll go with you."

"I don't need protecting," I told him. "I'll be totally fine."

"Have you seen yourself dueling?" he asked, a smile working its way on to his face.

Okay, so that wasn't my strong point. I _was _okay, just not as good as him. I was better at things that allowed me a bit of time to digest the situation. "Be nice to me!" I said.

He smirked, and stepped on the train with me, even though I knew it was the complete opposite direction from him. As much as I would deny it if anyone asked, I really did enjoy his company. We didn't even need to talk.

Almost an hour later, I was finally home.. I had not encountered a soul on the last leg of my journey, and maybe that was all for the best. Complete silence, other than our footsteps on the damp ground, was something that felt very nice for a brief period of time. The streets were so incredibly quiet, but it was peaceful rather than creepy.

True to his word, my father was waiting for me when I got home. He was awake and in the living room. "Hello, Katherine," he said. "Come on in... Are you all right?"

I wondered if he suspected that I had lied to him. It was completely out of my nature, so he didn't really have any reason not to believe me. He got up and closed the shades. "I'm fine, Dad," I told him. I was confused as to why he was shutting the shades when it was already so dark out.

"These are dark times," he said.

"It's night," I said sarcastically. I knew he was implying something different, but I didn't like talking about that.

"Katherine," he said, not impressed by my joke, "like I was saying. These are not times where I want my seventeen year old daughter out in the city at night any longer than she needs to be. Terrible things are happening. Just trust me on this, okay?"

"Of course," I said, knowing better than to disobey something my father told me to do. I went over and gave him a hug. "Night, Dad."

"Good night," he said.

~.~

Time passed strangely in the summer. We crossed the halfway mark, though, as July slid into August. However, the day didn't matter. All I knew was that I was lonely.

That was about to change.

It was a nice night, I remembered that much. I had the door open because it was hot and I wasn't allowed to turn the air conditioning on. It was absolutely dead in the coffee shop. I hadn't seen a customer in hours and really wanted to just go home... I was seriously considering closing up.

"Kat!" I was in the kitchen when I heard my name. That was odd, I thought, so I went out front. Hermione stood at the counter. She looked panicked.

"Hermione!" I said, staying happy. "Long time, no see, how have you been?"

"Fine," she said. She was out of breath and I knew something wasn't right.

"What's... wrong?"

"Harry and Ron are outside. Something terrible has happened, could we just come inside and stay in the kitchen for a bit to regroup?" she asked.

"Yeah, of course," I said. "Do whatever you need to. Is everything okay?"

"I'll be right back and explain," she said, running outside. I noticed for the first time that she was all dressed up. She looked beautiful.

She came back with Harry and Ron, who were also dressed up. What was going on? Why were they dressed nicely? They all had looks on their face like something very terrible had happened. I ushered them back into the kitchen, so I could hear what was going on. I was really worried.

"Spill," I said, as soon as they got into the small room.

"The Ministry has fallen to Voldemort and the Death Eaters," Hermione said. "Here, Ron, Harry, take these clothes and go change."

"Is everything okay?" I asked. Hermione, once we were alone.

She shrugged. I knew she was trying to keep calm and focused. I could tell there was_so_much going on in her head, but didn't know what to ask.

"How much do you support this cause?" she asked.

I thought that was a rather odd question. "What...?" I asked, seeking clarification

"The defeat of Voldemort..." she said.

"Oh, a lot," I said. He has caused so much destruction and death, what person in their right mind wouldn't want him dead?

"Then I'm about to be a really terrible friend," she said."We... aren't going back to school. We're going to get rid of him."

My mind was racing. I didn't know how that made her a terrible friend. "Okay..." I said, mostly to get her to say whatever she was going to say next.

"I would really like you to come with us," she said. "You're great with potions, you're really smart, and I think you would be a great help for us. I know it's asking you to give up a lot- but please try to think about the big picture."

My mind was_racing._I had absolutely no idea if I should say yes or no, or take a few minutes to think about it. "Uhm," I paused. I was stalling, of course. But I needed to think. I was giving up so much. My last year at Hogwarts, my family, Adam...

Though what had my family or Adam done for me, recently? Nothing. They had just been the cause of upset in my life. And these people? They had been there for me. And it was now my time to repay the favor.

"Okay," I told her. "I will do anything you need me to do."

"Great!" she said. "Thank you, thank you so much, Kat..."

I heard the ding of a customer ringing the bell for service. "I'll be right back," I told her. "Can you keep it quiet back here?"

Two workmen stood at the counter. They ordered simple coffees, so I served them and waited, hoping they would be on their way quickly and we would be alone in the shop once again. They looked like they were going to leave, but ended up sitting in a corner booth. I sighed. Now I had to watch them until they left.

"Kat, look, I know what Hermione just said to you, but-" Harry said, coming out from the kitchen.

_Boom!_

The glass of the pastry case shattered as it was hit with a spell. The two men had both drawn wands on us. I didn't even have a wand on me. Another spell missed me by only a few inches. Harry shoved me out of the way and back into the kitchen, as Ron and Hermione both came to his aid.

I was shaking, I was so scared. For a short amount of time- I wasn't sure how much, really, time was passing in an odd manner, I could do nothing but listen to the sounds of curses and damage being done to the shop. I was glad, though, that the cash register had flown across the room, not one of my friends. I felt helpless, and stupid, and worried- I was just completely bombarded with emotions.

Finally, silence. It was an incredibly dense silence, as I gathered the courage to check out the situation on the other side of the wall. I was very scared.

That was even scarier. I peeked out from behind the wall, and saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione standing amidst the rubble of the coffee shop. "They are Death Eaters," Hermione explained, peering at the bodies.

I wondered how Vera would react when she saw all the damage to her coffee shop. The pastry case was shattered, a few tables had broken, all of the chairs were out of order, and coffee beans were everywhere. She would be pissed, and it would be all my fault.

I took a deep breath, just trying to take everything in. I think it was at this moment I realized. We were in for a bumpy ride.

**Author's Note: And thus, the excitement begins! I know this is the part of the story that a lot of you were waiting for, and many had speculated about. Well, you were right, hehe! I can't wait to hear what you think. Also, I would like you to do me a favor. Go to my website! It can be found on my profile under Homepage. There's a poll I would really like you all to answer, as well as a Q&A oppurtunity with rewards! So please, go check it out :)**

**~.~**

**Also, I would like to take this opportunity to thank potter-reading-coastie for betaing for me. This is the last chapter he worked on. He betaed nearly fifty chapters for me over the span of six months! His side story, The Adventures of Emily and the Coastie, entertained a lot of us, and so I think we owe him a big thanks! **


	14. Chapter 14

Before long, we ended up in a part of London I was very unfamiliar with. The houses were large and ancient looking.

"Wait out here," Harry said to me, slipping through Hermione and I to get to the door. I did as I was told, and leaned against the railing. I had no clue what was going on, and everything I had just gone through was starting to catch up to me. I was exhausted, and my held felt a little foggy. I tried to take deep breaths and keep my thoughts shallow, so that I could postpone analyzing the night to a time when I had more energy.

It only took a few minutes for Harry to return to my side, although it felt longer. "Kat," he said, sighing.

"Harry?"

"Please, don't take the fact that I don't want you here as an insult," he started. "Because it's not. I just want to protect you, really. Being with me could get you into a lot of trouble. However, at this point, you know too much." He grabbed me by the arm and pulled me inside the house to a dark hallway.

This statement confused me. I felt like I knew nothing! What was he talking about? "No," I began. "I don't."

"Yes, you do," he said. "You know where we're going and what we're doing and who I am with. In the wrong hands, that information could be huge. So I'm going to ask you to stay with us. I'm not sure of any of the details. But I do know that, regardless, you're a great asset, and we're lucky to have you."

"Thank you," I said. "To be honest, I'm surprised you're so... accepting of it."

"I'm livid with Hermione for not telling me," he said. "But she does have a valid point, and you're at the point of no return."

That made sense, I guessed. "So... now what?"

"Now..." he held the word in the air for longer than necessary. "I'm not entirely sure."

"Can I go home?" I asked him. "Just to grab some clothing, and some money..."

"I don't think that's a good idea," he said.

"Please," I said. "Everyone will be asleep. They will never know I'm there."

"How will you get there?" he asked. "It's likely we're being watched."

"My dad is Head of the Department of Magical Transportation," I said. "I'll Floo to my brother's then Aparate."

He looked at me. "You're not running away, are you?"

I shook my head, but didn't say anything else. That seemed to satisfy him, though. He led me into what seemed to be the living room, and there was a fireplace along one wall.

"See you in a few hours," I said, before dropping into the flames.

~.~

On the other side, Robert's apartment was extremely quiet. I wondered if he was even home. It didn't sound like it, and I wasn't sticking around to find out. I quickly Apparated out, to just outside Dad's front door.

I got the door open as quietly as possible, then tip toed upstairs. I knew I didn't have long here, and I wanted to get as much of my stuff as possible. I picked up my wand, first, and used it to expand the inside of one of my purses. It was similar to Hermione's bag and would hold all my things.

I opened my closet, first, and pulled out everything I could find. I had no idea how long we would be gone, or where we would be staying, so I needed to pack for any condition. I picked up as many T-shirts as I could. They would be useful- for both clothing and rags. I got sweaters too, because I would rather be over prepared. I got shoes, all three of my pairs of sneakers, along with a pair of sandals and a pair of high heels. I figured that I would only grab three or four pairs of pants, because that was all that fit. That seemed like enough clothing for now.

I looked around my room, sensing that I was missing something. The journal that Adam had bought me sat on top of my bookshelf. I picked it up, thinking that this was the adventure I was waiting for.

I also grabbed the only family picture I had, because it was important to me. Dad stood, in the back. His hair was darker, and there were less wrinkles in his face. He looked happy, which was an emotion I couldn't remember seeing on his face. He always looked pleased around his new family, but there was a huge difference. My mother was beautiful, and held me in her lap. I was probably a year old, if even. My hair was still curly and wispy. Robert was next to my mother, about five years old. It was a beautiful family portrait.

I grabbed the piggy bank I had since I was a child. It was heavy, full of money, and I decided now was a good time to use it. I put it in my bag, and it made a 'thud' as it hit the bottom.

Then I went into the bathroom. I opened up the medicine cabinet, and threw in all the bottles of medicine. Aspirin, allergy tablets, pills to settle an upset stomach... they would all come in handy. Potions of the Muggles, was how I thought about it.

It seemed like I had everything. I quietly shut my bedroom door. How did I know I would ever return to this house? I didn't. So I took a few extra moments to enjoy it. The stairs didn't creak, because I knew where to step, and soon I was in the kitchen. I went to the pantry, and grabbed as many cans as I could. No one in my house really cooked, so they wouldn't be missed.

Then, I decided it was time to write a note to let my father know where I was. I grabbed a piece of paper that was intended to make a shopping list out of, and began to write.

_Dear Dad,_

_I'm going away. I'm safe, I promise. Don't look for me. I'm so sorry._

_Katherine_

I was finally ready to leave, after what felt like a thousand years in this house. Unfortunately, fate decided to throw me yet another curve ball.

"Where do you think you're going?" Cecelia asked, standing on the stairs.

"Go back to bed," I said, edging closer to the door.

"Not until you tell me where you're going," she said, crossing her arms.

I sighed. It would be really hard to deny someone who got everything they wanted this piece of information. And she could easily wake everyone in the house up and screw everything up for me. And I still had one more stop to make.

"Look," I said. "Cecelia, go back to bed. It's none of your business... or I'll tell your mom about that party you were at last week."

Her jaw dropped slightly before she could recover enough to pull herself together. "Fine," she said.

I took that opportunity to slip out the door, and I didn't look back. I traveled on foot for awhile, just to get away from my house. I didn't even know what time it was anymore, it was somewhere in that gray area between night and day.

Finally, I found somewhere I could aparate from. It took me a minute to concentrate on where exactly I was going, and I found it hard to keep both feet on the ground. But I just thought about Adam, and knew magic would bring me to him.

_Crack!_

I found myself in his bedroom. He slept in the bed, on his stomach but with his face to the side so he could snore. I sat on the bed, next to his body, and shook him.

"Wassgoinon?" he asked, jumping as he reached consciousness.

"Adam," I said.

"Kat!" he exclaimed. He almost sounded happy to see me.

"Shh..." I said. The last thing I needed was for someone to catch me here.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, sitting up.

"It's over," I told him.

"What is?" he asked, beginning to look really concerned.

"I'm leaving," I told him. "I want to break up with you before I go."

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I..." I tried to think of the best way to explain it. "I can't really tell you because I don't really now."

He sighed angrily. "You're not leaving then," he said, grabbing my arm.

"Please don't make me leave you like this," I told him. "It's over, Adam. It's been over for months, neither of us have had the guts to come out and say it. You're a great guy, and I do wish you the best, but it's over."

"Kat!" he said. "No."

I just nodded, and stood up. He got out of bed and followed me, grabbing me by the arm. He used that leverage to pull me towards him and kiss him. I didn't fight too hard, because I knew he was stronger than me. When he pulled away, I drew out my wand. "Let me go or else," I said.

He looked around, and we both spotted his wand on his bedside table. It was useless there, plus we both knew he really wouldn't do anything to me. "I have a question first," he said.

"What?" I asked.

"Where were you exactly the day of that Quidditch game?" he asked. "Were you with Potter?"

I sighed. Why did this have to come up now? "Adam," I said. "I'm not sure why that is important right now."

"If you want to leave, answer my question," he said.

"Yes," I admitted. "I was. I had detention with him, because he dragged me into something earlier that week. But you know this. But it wasn't my fault, Adam. I couldn't tell you because I knew it would put you off your game and I couldn't do that."

"And you knew I would be pissed," he said.

"That wasn't my main motivation," I told him. "Do I regret helping Harry that day? Yeah, I do. Every day. Because right now, we should be sharing a flat of our own in Diagon Alley. Not... this. But it is what it is, and I really need to go, Adam."

"You're going to him now aren't you?" he asked.

"Adam," I warned. "I told you, I'm not telling you where I'm going. Now a deal's a deal, let me out of here."

"Please stay," he said. He was resorting to begging. "Please, Kat. You go out there, you'll die. I don't want you to die. Please, I'll do anything. I'll be a better boyfriend. We can get the flat like you want, I'll be home more and bring you flowers every day. Anything you want, just don't go out there and get yourself killed."

"Adam!" I said again. "I need to leave."

He flung himself at me, holding tightly to me, as if that would make everything better.

"I'm really sorry," I said. I shook him off me, and in the second he had no contact, aparated away. It was really hard to walk away from someone like that. Adam and I had so many happy memories together, and it had been so long. It was over now, and I tried really hard not to dwell on it.

I was back in Rob's apartment. I knelt in the Floo, and took a deep breath before returning to my friends.

It was quiet. But I looked at the clock in the corner, of course it was. It was almost morning. Harry, Ron and Hermione had a long night, they were probably asleep. I knew I would be joining them quickly, but first, I was starving. I went into the kitchen so I could rummage through my bag and find something to eat.

I found Harry slumped over in a chair in the kitchen. He must have been waiting for me. He looked so peaceful that I didn't want to wake him, but I removed his glasses, because they looked seriously uncomfortable.

He jerked awake when I touched him. "Kat," he said, shaking his head to wake up.

"Shh," I said. "It's really late."

"Yeah, yeah it is," he mumbled. "Did you just get back?" 

"Yeah," I told him. I rummaged through my bag, and found a can of soup. That sounded delicious, so I went and turned on the stove top to warm it up.

"What took you so long?" he asked.

"Had a lot to do," I said.

"Like?" he asked.

"I broke up with Adam."

"Oh," he said. I felt a bit of an awkward silence fall over us. "Er, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," I said, brushing it aside. We all gave things up to be here. "Are you hungry?"

"No, I'm fine," he said. "Thanks."

"I grabbed a ton of food," I said. "And Muggle medicine, and clothing, and money."

"Oh, wow," he remarked. "You're prepared."

"Well," I started. "Not exactly like I know where we are going, is it?"

"I guess I owe you a bit of an explanation, don't I?"

"It'd certainly be nice..." I said. I grabbed the can of soup off the stove and summoned a spoon. It was incredibly dirty, but a quick washing and it was fine. Harry disappeared into the living room, so I followed him, eating my soup out of a can.

He slumped down into the couch, so I sat next to him.

"How... long are we going to be gone?" I asked him.

"I can't honestly give you an answer," he said. "It could be a month, or... it could be much longer."

I nodded, before taking a big breath. "Are we staying here? Or is this just a temporary place?"

"I would say temporary," he said. "We're likely going to have to keep on the move."

"All right."

"I think it would be better for us to talk about this all in the morning," he said. "It's a long story, and I'm rather tired."

"Me too," I admitted. My soup was almost gone, and then I planned on finding somewhere to curl up and sleep for about twelve hours.

"When you're done with that, I'll show you where we're sleeping," he offered.

I looked at him. He looked very tired. And I knew it was four o'clock in the morning, so everyone should be tired, but he looked as if he had run about ten marathons. I wanted to see him look alive again.

This was going to be a hard journey, I knew. With no end in sight, I felt a little bit alone. I was friends with Hermione, and a friendship had been blossoming with Harry over the last few months, but it was still easy to forget these people meant anything to me. I almost felt a little anger that I had been pulled into it. Maybe once I heard everything Harry had to say, or at least had a good night's sleep, I would feel more passionate. But for now all I wanted was a warm bed.

I looked over at Harry again, and found him asleep next to me. He was slumped over. I sighed. From my position on the couch, I could see the staircase upstairs, and it was completely dark and a little scary looking. I wasn't going to venture up there, not knowing my way.

I used magic to remove his glasses, and it didn't wake him this time, just cause him to lean more towards me. I summoned a blanket, put it over myself, and used his shoulder as a pillow. It took mere seconds for me to find sleep.

**Author's Note: Hehe, a nice little chapter there, eh? Let me know what you think :)**


	15. Chapter 15

Upon waking up, there were quite a few moments where I didn't recognize my surroundings. Oh, what a headache that summoned. I felt like I had been hit with a Bludger between the eyes.

A quick glance at my watch showed it was well after noon, but that was okay. A little bit of sunlight streamed into the windows, but there was way too much dust to have full light.

I heard the noises of other people, and followed them into the kitchen. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all sat at the large kitchen table, talking in hushed voices.

When they saw me, they stopped talking. It felt so incredibly awkward. I was already sort of regretting hopping onto this bandwagon. "Wow," I said. "Er, this is awkward."

"Breakfast?" Hermione asked, standing up. She picked up a pot on the stove that had really runny scrambled eggs in them. Obviously, I would be taking over the cooking on this little expedition, because there was no way we were eating like that.

" I'm all set, thanks," I said, sitting down. I wasn't fully awake yet. "What's going on?"

"We're just discussing what next," Harry said.

"What's the plan?" I asked.

"Still working on that one, actually..." Hermione said. She hadn't sat back down, instead she leaned against the counter. "Harry said you brought supplies?"

"Oh, yeah, loads of them," I said.

"Want to organize them?" she asked.

I grabbed my bag and followed her upstairs. It was a very strange house, with pictures on the walls that didn't look so friendly. I mainly kept close to Hermione. I felt afraid that if I got lost, they wouldn't see me again.

She took me to a room where she and Ron had obviously slept last night. There was a bed of pillows set up next to a couch. Her purse of stuff was hiding under her pillow. I couldn't imagine that was comfortable, but it kept it safe.

She began to pull the things she had out, and it seemed like we had different priorities in this. She had more books, whereas I had focused more on our survival.

"How much money do we have?" I asked her, picking up my piggy bank.

"We have a good amount, I think," she said, picking up a wallet. "I have some money in here. We shouldn't need too much money, I think."

"Food?" I asked.

She shrugged. "It looks like you've got plenty for us there," she said. She was right, I probably had enough food to feed us all for about ten days. But some of it was perishable, and I didn't want to deplete our resources so early.

"But we have access to food in London right now," I said. "I would rather spend money on that than not have food later. Harry said we don't know how long we're going to be on this little... trip, and we don't know where we will be. We can eat the perishables now, but I would rather spend money to get food while we have access to it."

"That makes sense," she said. "This is why I'm glad you're here, you think about this stuff better than I do."

I arranged the cans into ten groups that would feed us for one day, before tying them together with twine she had in her bag.

"Here, give me half of those. We don't want all the supplies in one place," she said. "You've got loads of clothing."

"You don't?" I asked.

"Two outfit changes each," she said.

I took stock of what I had again. I had twelve T-shirts, six sweaters, three pairs of sneakers, and three pairs of pants. "Here, take another T-shirt... and do you think Harry or Ron would wear these shirts? They belonged to Adam, so they should fit, he's a bit bigger than either of them."

"I'm sure they would," she said.

"I'm saving the rest of the shirts until these ones get ratty or something, but here, why don't you keep a few in your bag. You can have these three sweaters, though I'm not sure you need them yet because it's July, I just thought it would be good to have," I explained.

She nodded, and we rearranged the goods. I got some of her books. "What have you done about Adam?" she asked. "You didn't tell him where you are, did you?"

"I broke up with him last night," I told her. "But I wouldn't tell him where I was going. I think he knows I'm with you guys though."

"I'm sorry," she said. "I know I've asked a lot of you for you to be here."

"The breakup was coming anyways," I said. "Don't worry... I'm amazed Harry and Ginny are still together if he wouldn't bring her along for this."

"Kat?" Hermione asked, raising an eybrow at me. "Ginny dumped Harry ages ago..."

"What?" I asked, in disbelief. "He never mentioned it to me. How could he have not mentioned that?"

She just shrugged.

"Do you know why?"

"It's complicated," she said. I knew that meant she knew why, but wasn't going to tell me. I just sighed. It looked like there would be plenty of time to get it out of her. "Is that a journal?"

I picked up the leather journal that Adam had given me. I was actually glad I had remembered to bring it along. "We should keep a catalog of what we have," I said. "There are a few potions I would like to make, while we have access to supplies."

"Like what?" she asked.

"Pain potion is always good to have, maybe something to strengthen our immune systems, or some nutritional supplement ones. I dunno."

She nodded. "I think that's a good idea," she said. "You can make all of those potions yourself?"

I nodded. They would be really easy. I took a catalog of what we had, in the last two pages of the journal. I would write about our journey in the front of the book. I wanted to remember every second of this. Although helping Hermione made me feel productive, like I was playing an actual part in this little production, I still felt off. They were a very established group, and I felt left out. I wanted to be a part of them. I knew there was no way to immediately gain the closeness of more than five years of friendship, but I did want to feel more like I belonged.

I wandered off, wanting to explore the house while it was light out. The place was terribly dusty, but far less terrifying in the day time. I found a bedroom that looked pretty clean, and decided to sit in here for awhile. There were two twin beds and a desk, and it was empty other than that. I sat at the desk and took out my journal. I didn't mind having the time alone, to think.

I started thinking on the paper. I jotted down all the questions I had, and my general feelings. I was feeling a lot of things. I was concerned about my family. I was lonely. And somewhere deep inside of me, I was just a little excited.

_Where are we going?_

_How long are we going to be gone?_

_What are we doing?_

_How much danger will I be in?_

Those were the questions that summed up my fears the best. I knew that Harry had already sort of answered the first two questions, as even he didn't know the answers. Thinking about the last twenty four hours, it was insanity that so much had happened.

I was alone in the small room for most of the day, as afternoon faded into evening. Through the small window over the desk, I could see the London sky, clear for once, turn to a dark orange and I knew it was getting late.

There was a knock on the door, and then it opened. Harry stood in the doorway. "Hey," he said.

"Hi," I said, turning around.

"Have you been up here all afternoon?" 

I nodded. "Is that all right?" I asked.

"Yeah, of course," he said. "You can sleep in here if you'd like."

"Thanks," I said. He sat on one of the beds, so I knew he was staying for a bit. "Explanation time?"

He nodded. "I'm going to do my best," he said. "I've never had to explain this to someone before, so it may be rough... but, yeah..."

"Just do your best," I said. I got comfortable because I had a feeling I could be here for a while.

"All right," he said. "Let's see... There was a prophecy made about Voldemort and I when I was just a baby... Professor Trelawney made it. We found this out at the end of our fifth year, it was in the Department of Mysteries."

"What does the prophecy say?" I asked.

""The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..." he said. He said the words slowly, with his eyes closed, as if it pained him to remember them.

It took me a good minute or so to digest exactly what he was telling me. "You're going to die?" I asked him. I was trying to remain calm and listen to everything he had to say before I began to freak out.

He shrugged. "It's always a possibility," he said, quietly. He still wouldn't meet me in the eye. "But at least one of us, him or me, will be dead at the end of this."

"Wow," was all I could manage to say to him. I was a little bit stunned by this, but knew this was only the beginning of his story.

"Unfortunately for us, he made it a bit more difficult... Do you know what a Horcrux is?"

I had never heard the word before, so I silently shook my head.

"It's... it's when someone splits their soul and puts part of it in another object," he said.

I grimaced. What a terrible, hideous thing for someone to do. How could they ever do that? "You mean, You-Know-Who has done that?"

"Say his name, Kat," he said. "When you talk about him, say his name. But yes, he has. At least six times."

I almost felt sick to my stomach. "I'm afraid to ask how," I said.

"Killing people," he said. "Though he did kill more than seven people."

I just shook my head. My body felt flushed and weak, I was so strongly disgusted. I couldn't believe what was going on.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

I tried to swallow my disgust. "You can go on," I said. I didn't want him to think I was a wimp or anything.

"Anyways, until we destroy these Horcruxes... I can't kill him," he said.

"So we're basically on a treasure hunt?" I asked him.

"I guess you could say that," he said. "We've already got a few of them, if that makes it any better... I destroyed his journal when I was in Second Year... Dumbledore destroyed Marvolo Guant- that's Tom Riddle's grandfather's ring. We know some of the others... Helga Hufflepuff's goblet... his snake, Nagini... Slytherin's locket, which is a bit of a complicated story... we thought we had the locket. Dumbledore and I got it the night that he was killed. But it was a fake..."

He pulled a locket out of his pocket, and handed it to me. It was beautifully crafted. I opened it and a note fell out. I picked it up and straightened the paper so I would be able to read it.

_To the Dark Lord - I know I will be dead long before you read this, but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more. - R.A.B. _

"R.A.B.?" I asked.

"Regulus Arcturus Black," he told me. "My godfather, Sirius' younger brother. While you were up here, we talked to Kreacher, the Black Family's house elf... he's mine now, I guess, but he's tracking down the real locket."

I nodded. "Okay," I said. I wasn't sure exactly what else to say.

"And once he finds it we will destroy it," he said. "It's not easy but it has to be done."

"Okay," I said.

"I want to go to Godric's Hollow," he said. "I think that will be a good place to start. I want to see my parent's house, and talk to Bathilda Bagshot. It seems she might have some clues to this treasure hunt, as you called it."

"That sounds like a good idea," I told him. I also wanted to see his parents house, and he seemed to think it was a good first step. I was going to support him with that.

"It's going to be dangerous," he said. "But I won't do anything to put you in harm's way if I can stop it. You know that, right?"

I looked up at him and he finally met my eyes. I did trust him, really. "Yeah," I said. "I do."

"Good," he said. "I think... I think I've explained everything for right now. Maybe we should go downstairs and see if Ron or Hermione has come up with dinner."

I snorted, knowing Ron definitely hadn't, and I seriously hoped that Hermione hadn't. Her eggs this morning had been quite pitiful, and I wanted something good to eat. "I will take charge of dinner," I said. "No more watery scrambled eggs."

"Thank God," he said. 

We both stood up and walked downstairs together.

**Author's Note: Another chapter! I think the interesting bits are starting, haha. I was a little bit disappointed with the reviews last time- not in quantity, but it quality. I would really like more constructive reviews! If you're taking the time to review, which I REALLY appreciate, please make it something of quality! It's the only reward I get for writing. Anyways, let me know what you think. Thanks! **


	16. Chapter 16

A few days passed and we fell into a sort of pattern. I was in charge of going to get food, and prepared it. I liked doing this, because it gave me a real sense of purpose. They depended on me for something, and we needed to eat. I kept us on a lean budget, but we ate lots of starches and protein to fill us up. It wasn't the healthiest diet, but that was okay.

I also spent a lot of time working on potions. We had quite a full supply, and I was happy about that. I had no idea how long we were going to be here, so I wanted to get the potions done. There were already suspicious looking people circling the block whenever I went out, but I managed to keep a low profile.

I enjoyed the calmness, though. The house was fun to explore and I was otherwise busy. I was preoccupied in the kitchen, making a lunch of stew with some meat I had gotten for cheap at the butcher's.

"_Severus Snape!" _the security measure in the hallway croaked. I was a little afraid, as I knew Hermione and Ron were upstairs, and Harry was in the Living Room. I pulled out my wand, which had found a permenant home in my back pocket, and leaned in to see who was there.

"It was not I who killed you, Albus," I saw the dust figure explode, then Professor Lupin stepped out from the cloud.

Harry came into the hallway. "Oh, Remus!"

The sound of feet on the stairs was heard, and then Ron and Hermione appeared on the stairs. "Oh, it's just you, Remus," Ron said.

"Really?" Professor- Remus, rather, asked, looking rather angry. "None of you are going to verify who I am? And Katherine's the only one with a wand out?"

They all fumbled for their wands, pulling them out of their pockets. I mean, realistically, we knew that I wouldn't stand a chance against him if he was trying to hurt us and I was the only one with a wand.

Remus sighed, and walked past me into the kitchen. "You lot will be dead by Christmas if you keep that up. Meanwhile, you still haven't verified who I am."

"What form does my Patronus take?" Harry asked, rushing to catch up with Remus.

"Stag," Remus said.

"Good," Harry replied, shuffling awkwardly. "Well, he's, erm, real."

I couldn't help but shake my head at the bizarre scene in front of me. I went to the cabinet and took out the large bottle of Butterbeer I had been saving for a special occasion. They had all settled at the table, so I floated five glasses over to them and took a seat.

Remus threw down a newspaper on the table. Harry's face was blinking up at us, the words "WANTED FOR QUESTIONING ABOUT THE DEATH OF ALBUS DUMBLDORE" scrawled across it.

"Oh dear," I said, bringing my hand to my mouth. This couldn't be good. My eyes shot to Harry, who stared at the paper, his face very pale.

"This is only the beginning," Remus said. "Most everyone got away from the wedding, though. There was some damage done, they burnt down Diggle's house, they tortured Dora's parents... but everyone is fine. Ron, your family is safe, but they're being watched."

"Yeah, I know. My dad sent his Patronus," he said.

Remus nodded. I had no idea that Ron had heard from his family, but it definitely sparked just a bit of jealousy in my chest. Harry had no family to hear from, and Hermione had explained to me how she had hid her parents in Austrailia. I wondered how my family was...

"What's happened to Hogwarts?" Hermione asked.

"Attendance is now compulsary," Remus explained. "Voldemort will be watching the children from a young age, and Snape has been made Headmaster."

"Oh," we all sort of made the same sound at the same time... it seemed like we were stunned.

"Anyone who hasn't gotten verifiable, tracealble magical blood in them is facing a rough time..." Remus said. "As well as anyone who associates with Muggles."

We all groaned. This was terrible! "That's- that's-!" Harry sputtered, angrily.

"Yeah," Remus agreed. Then he stood up. "Look, I will be frank. The reason I am here is that the Order believes that Dumbledore left you some sort of... mission?"

"He did," Harry said.

"Can you tell me what this mission is?" Remus asked, leaning in.

Harry shook his head. "If Dumbledore didn't tell you, I don't think I can."

"Do they know?" he asked, waving his hand at Ron, Hermione, and me.

"Yes," Harry said slowly.

"Fine," Remus said. "You don't have to tell me what is going on. But I could protect you, you know what I am, I could use that to your advantage."

"What about Tonks?" Hermione asked.

"What about her?" he asked.

"Well, she's your wife," she said, chewing on her lip.

"I know..." he sighed. He looked away for a moment, then continued. "Tonks is going to have a baby."

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed. "Congratulaltions!"

Remus, however, did not look amused. He tried to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace.

"So, Remus, shouldn't you be home with your wife then?" Harry asked.

"She is staying with her parents... she'll be fine."

"So, let me get this straight, you would rather run away with us than be at home with her?"

Remus just sighed, and crossed his arms. "I think James would like me to help his kid."

"I think my father would rather know why you weren't at home with your own kid!" Harry fought back. I could tell he was not happy with Remus. The expressions on both of their faces were really scary, but I couldn't help but agree with Harry's point here.

"Look at me!" Remus said, yelling. He pulled at some of his hair. "You've only ever seen me with the Order or under Dumbledore's protection! You don't know how people treat me once they find out what type of creature I am! The kid's better off without having me around."

"Remus, how can you say that?" Hermione asked, her eyes beginning to look watery. "If you were my dad I'd be proud of you!"

"I dunno." Harry said, raising his arms in question. "I wouldn't be too proud of him right now."

Remus stood at his full height, and I saw the shadow of a wolf cross his face. Harry was blown back into the wall, and Remus' coat tail swung around the corner of the door.

Since Harry was closest to me, I went and helped him up. The floor was filthy, and now so was he...

"Harry... how could you?" Hermione asked. She had tears in her eyes. Ron stood up and put his arm around her. I couldn't help but think what an odd stance this was.

"It was easy," he spat. He left the room, and headed upstairs.

I just looked to Ron, his arms around Hermione. Was this really the time for him to try and make a move by comforting her? Really? I wanted any excuse to get out of there. "I'm just going to go- okay, yeah..." I could see they didn't really care about what I was doing, so I went up after Harry.

It was pretty obvious where he had gone, as he left a trail of dust in his wake. It led up to one of the rooms. The sign on the door said the room had belonged to his godfather, Sirius. I knocked softly.

"Harry?" I called. I opened the door, and he was sitting on the bed. The room was messy, stuff was strewn across the floor. I noticed posters on the walls of Muggle women in skimpy bikinis sitting on motorcycles, and couldn't help but chuckle, even if it was an inappropriate time.

"They're not mine," he said, from his spot on the bed.

"I know," I told him. I stepped over a few piles of... stuff and plopped myself down next to him. He was hunched over, one hand on the back of his head and one hand holding a photograph. It was definitely him as a child. "You were adorable."

"Yeah..." he trailed off.

"I'll heal you," I said, moving his hand off his head carefully. I gingerly found the bump that slamming into the wall had given him, and healed it. I couldn't duel someone well, but I could do things that didn't require thinking on my toes.

"Thanks," he said. I took the picture of him and examined it. In the corner of the picture, his father's foot was visible.

"That was... quite an... outburst down there," I said. "Though I'm not sure I really blame you."

"I'm just of the belief that fathers should be there for their children," he said. "I mean, Ron and Hermione can't understand that... they both have great dads..."

"It's okay," I told him.

"How was your dad?" he asked.

"Erm," I wasn't exactly sure what type of answer he was looking for. I didn't know if he just wanted to conduct his pity party or if he was genuinely concerned. Why was he asking me? "He's a great provider... but not the greatest father. There was a rather constant feeling of having been replaced."

"I'm sorry," he said. We locked eyes for a moment. "I want to do it right... y'know?"

"That's sweet," I told him. "However, many years off. Shouldn't we focus on, I don't know, destroying the Horcruxes first?"

"You're right," he said. "Do you think I did the right thing back there?"

"_I _think so," I told him.

He swallowed and nodded. "Thank you, Kat," he said.

I wasn't sure exactly what I was being thanked for, but I wasn't going to argue. "Any time," I said. "Uhm, I'm going to work on dinner..."

"Stew, right?" he asked. He was preoccupied though, I could tell he was thinking about things at a furious pace.

"Yeah," I said. "It will be ready in a few hours."

I had almost gotten to the door when he called my name. "Kat," he said.

"What Harry?" I turned to ask.

He stood up and took a few steps closer to me. I felt uncomfortable, as he was in my personal space. He leaned in and kissed me. I saw it coming, but didn't have enough time to react. So I let him kiss me. When he was done, I stepped way back.

"You're upset and confused," I told him. I was trying to keep rational, but I knew there was an air of despair in my voice. "You don't want this."

"Maybe I do..." he said.

"Well then you're going about this the wrong way," I told him. "I'm not rebounding with you. That's not how I do things. _This _isn't how I do things. I'm going to pretend this never happened."

I left quickly because I was very uneasy and needed to get away from him. Luckily, the kitchen was empty, and I didn't spare any thoughts as to where they had run off to. I really didn't care.

I spent a few hours in the kitchen, banging around the pots and pans. I needed to get my frustration out. Keeping it in would only be detrimental to this trip.

Even though we had only been on this trip for a few days, I was feeling like I was the only one who was acting like an adult. While I had volunteered to cook for us, I hadn't signed up for everything. I hadn't had months to prepare for this trip like they had. I was thrust into this without any idea what I was getting in to.

Part of me wanted a Time Turner to go back to that night at the coffee shop and close up early and avoid connecting with them. That part would have left me still with Adam, who I had actually missed more than anticipated. I didn't care that he had been an arse to me, I had a history there and I missed him. Also, I would have been with my family. Instead, I was stuck wondering about them. I knew that if he hadn't already, Dad would have to take his family into hiding if he wanted to keep them in tact. I worried about them. As much as I struggled in my relationship with Vera, Madeline, and Cecelia, I didn't want anything bad to happen to them.

I felt really upset for a long time that someone else had made these decisions for me- that I would leave my family, leave the bloke I'd loved for a year and a half, and leave everything that was good and secure. I was trying to find my new balance here, but I was struggling.

Our trip was off to a rocky start, and all I could do was pray it got better. 

**Author's Note: DO YOU KNOW WHAT TODAY IS? My one year anniversary of posting fanfiction on this website! One year! YAY! To celebrate, I am having a little party on my blog, which is emilyherselfwrites dot wordpress dot com. You can also find it by going to my Profile page and clicking on 'Homepage'. There will be plot points revealed on the website throughout the day, so please come stop by to see! Let me know what you think. Thanks everyone :)**


	17. Chapter 17

I prepared dinner for them, but didn't stick around to eat with them. I took my bowl and went up to my room. I knew that I was a bit unstable and if I had to eat with them I wouldn't be very nice to them.

I turned on the radio I had found in a spare room and just relaxed. I wrote about four pages in my journal, just pouring every ugly emotion onto those pages. It was very cleansing, and I found I felt much better when I set the journal down, and closed my eyes.

My state of relaxation only last a few moments, as it was interrupted by a loud BANG.

It was so loud I sat straight up out of bed. I reached for my wand, and slowly moved out of the room and into the hallway. My heart thumped away furiously in my chest. I didn't know if there was an attack going on down the stairs. Maybe this was it. We wouldn't even last long enough to get out of London. Maybe we _should_ have let Remus come with us to protect us.

I crept down the stairs, avoiding the creaky ones and staying on my toes. When I got down a few flights and hadn't heard any more loud noises, I figured it was more likely we were safe. I still kept my wand out, though.

Out of the kitchen came a house elf, and he sneered at the wand in my hand. He was muttering under his breath. I noticed he wore the locket Harry had shown me the other day around his neck.

"Everything all right?" I asked, walking into the kitchen.

It seemed that everything was okay. There were a few pots and pans scattered around the floor, so I had to step over them, however everyone was in one piece.

"We know where the locket is," Harry said.

I took a seat next to Hermione, and propped my head up on my hand. I forgot about the ill feelings I had harbored for the trio earlier and was now just concerned with that was more important: the locket. "And...?" I asked.

"Umbridge has it," Hermione said. "It was in this house, but the house got gone through by a member of the Order and he sold it to her."

"Okay," I said, trying to piece together information. "So how are we going to get it?"

"We're working on it," Ron said.

"Okay, so fill me in," I said. If I was here, I was going to participate. "Maybe I have something to add."

"Well, it's at the Ministry," Harry said, taking a seat. "So we need to figure out how we can get in there."

"I have some Polyjuice Potion in my stores, if that's what you're thinking," I said. "I've got more than enough for a quick run to get it."

"Yeah, that would probably be the wisest route," he said. "However, we can't just go in there without a plan, we can't waste Polyjuice Potion or risk getting caught. We're going to have to observe the Ministry for awhile before we make a move."

"How should we do that?" Hermione asked. "There are five Death Eaters circling the block!"

"I've got the invibility cloak..." Harry said. "I think we should observe outside the Ministry for awhile then go in."

I was frustrated that there wasn't a clear time line, but Harry was in charge. He didn't want to drag this out any more than I did. "Sounds good," I said. I didn't stick around very long after that, and returned to my room to get ready for bed. I was sleepy, and the worry from earlier had wiped me out.

I was woken up the next morning by Harry. "Kat, Kat, wake up!" he whispered to me.

"What's wrong?" I asked, instantly alerted.

"Do you want to come to the Ministry with me?" he asked. "I thought you might want to get out of the house for awhile."

"Yeah, that would be great," I said. "Just give me a few minutes to get ready."

"Sure," he said.

After he left, I got out of bed and tried to look for something to wear. I threw on jeans and a T-shirt and knew I had left shoes downstairs. The clock that sat on top of the wardrobe told me it was a little after seven in the morning. Earlier than I had been awake in a week, but the morning was peaceful.

Harry waited for me in the kitchen. It didn't seem anyone else was awake, and I think I liked it that way. "Good morning," he said.

"You scared me, waking me up like that," I told him. "I thought we were being attacked."

"I'm sorry," he said. "I just didn't want to wake the others. Ready to go?"

He held out the cloak that I knew would make us disappear. I stepped under it, and we stepped outside onto the top step. He grabbed my arm and we aparated. When I opened my eyes again, we were in an alley in central London, much closer to the Ministry. He took off the cloak, and put a hat on his head. "We have a little time, yeah?"

"You're asking me?"

"Well, your father works at the ministry, doesn't he?"

"Oh," I said. "Yeah. We're a bit early. My father normally left the house at eight."

Since it was central London, there was a huge hustle as all the workers made their morning commutes. I stayed close to him, since I didn't want to get separated in the crowd. I followed him right into a small coffee shop. Vera's shop wasn't too far from here, and I was really curious as to if it was still in business.

I got a croissant and some orange juice, and we found a corner to sit in and wait. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to look at people who weren't Ron, Harry, or Hermione. The fact that Harry wasn't very talkative didn't bother me, since there was plenty to watch.

After a few minutes, he started talking. "I'm sorry about the other day," he said. "I was out of line."

I knew he was talking about kissing me. I had suppressed it, not wanting to dwell on it. "Yeah, you were," I said. "However, I know you're stressed out... and you weren't thinking straight. I just think we've got enough shit complicating our lives right now."

"You're right," he said. "You're really right, Kat."

"See, you brought me along for a reason," I told him.

"I guess so," he said, however when I looked up at him I could see he was teasing. It brought a smile to my face. "I know is hasn't been easy."

"No, it hasn't," I said. "You three have been friends since what? First year? And I've known you for less than a year and was a bit thrust in to it. So I'm struggling here. I miss my family and I miss Adam... I know it isn't exactly easy for any of us but... it sucks."

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'll try and make it better for you."

"I just want us to do the best we can, get it over with, and move on with our lives... but for now, I think we can probably go watch the Ministry," I told him, stuffing the last bit of croissant in my mouth. Eating fresh, warm, delicious bread was lovely.

"Okay," he said. We found an alley to put on the cloak and staked out near the Ministry. It was a little scary, and the whole time, I was on high alert. I so wanted to see my father, to know he was safe and in one piece.

"I hope I see my father," I said, quietly to him.

"You can't talk to him," Harry said.

"I just want to see him," I said. "That's really all I want. Just to know he's okay."

"Okay," he sighed. We watched the people for about an hour. The stream of workers slowly dwindled down. I wasn't sure what exactly we were looking for, but Harry seemed pleased with our work. "Let's call it a day."

We hadn't seen my father, so I was a little upset. I hoped that wherever he was, he was okay. "Can I ask a favor?"

"What?" he asked.

"Can we go see if the coffee shop is boarded up?" I asked. "It's my stepmother's place and I'm just curious. I don't want to go in or anything, I just want to know."

He nodded. "Show me the way," he said.

I let us down a few alleys, knowing the shortcuts that would take us to the shop. As soon as it came into view, I could see plywood boards covering the windows and doors. I gasped, it was a hard sight to see.

"Wow," I said.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"I just want to see one thing," I said, ducking down the alley. I wondered if the spare key was still under the mat in the alley. It was, and I used it to open the door.

"Kat," Harry said. "I thought you didn't want to go in!"

"Well, no one's here. I bet there's food in here... and I know where there's money stashed."

"Oh, okay," he said.

It was dark inside, and smelled bad. The fruit was probably rotting, but I was on a mission. I took out my wand and lit up the kitchen. I knew that in one of the cabinets I would find an old glass jar that had loads of Muggle money. "Got it," I said. I handed him the jar.

"How much money is in here?" he asked.

"Not sure. We used it to stock the till when we ran low," I explained. In the same cabinet, I found a few boxes of cookies and biscotti. Not exactly the most nutritious food, however, any food was good food. "All right, let's get out of here."

I took one last look around, saddened by how far the cafe had deteriorated. I missed my family and being here reminded me of that. "You sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, c'mon," I said. We stepped under the cloak and apparated home.

~.~

It became a bit of a ritual. He woke me up every morning that week so that we could stake out at the Ministry together. I wasn't so sure what we were looking for after a few days, but he seemed pleased and it got me out of the house. Plus I felt like I was possibly doing something productive.

After a week of observing, he declared we were ready to take on the Ministry. "Tomorrow morning," he said at dinner.

"Harry, doesn't that seem awful quick?" Hermione reasoned.

"How much more can we learn?" he asked. "Tomorrow. We have to leave the house at seven o'clock in the morning."

She huffed. I could tell she didn't agree with his plan. Ron just shrugged, and I guessed I agreed with him. I trusted Harry to lead us the way he thought best.

"I'm not discussing it anymore," he said. "Tomorrow."

We all ate in a sort of silence. Dinner wasn't very good however I hadn't spent much money on it. I had gotten minced beef and made hamburgers, but we didn't have any cheese to put on them and our bread was stale. I think we all knew this would be our last meal here. I had the sinking feeling that when we walked out the door tomorrow morning, we wouldn't be coming back.

Harry stood up and left the room. I looked to Hermione. "Where is he going?" I asked.

She shrugged. "I give up," she said.

I chewed on my lip and tried to finish the rest of my dinner. Who knew where we would be headed tomorrow night? We needed a good meal.

A few minutes later, Harry came back in. He looked ghastly, pale and sickly. The brief thought that I may have given him food posioning crossed my mind and I felt terrible. "Are you okay?" I stood up, and walked toward him.

He nodded. "Voldemort is looking for Gregorovitch," he said.

"You let him in to your head?" Hermione asked, anger rising in her voice. Hermione had mostly kept her cool so far, and it surprised me to see her so upset.

"I couldn't exactly help it, Hermione," Harry said, leaning against the counter.

I turned to Ron, since he wasn't rowing and he was close to me. "What are they talking about...?" I asked.

"Sometimes," he began softly, "Harry can see what Voldemort is up to... Legilimency."

"Oh dear," I said. That wasn't good, at all. "What else did you see?"

"He's looking for Gregorovitch," Harry said. "He wants to know why my wand will defend me against him."

"You idiot!" Hermione said. "You're going to get us killed because of that!" 

I just sighed, and didn't want to get involved. I summoned all of the dishes to the sink to wash, and blocked out the argument before going upstairs.

**Author's Note: Really, no good excuse for not having an update... just been busy! Will try to get updates out faster now... not having a beta makes it easy to slack off. Feel free to poke me and get me to update! Let me know what you think, please! **


	18. Chapter 18

Twelve hours later, we stood outside the Ministry, after having taken on new appearances. I looked over to see Hermione, now Mafalda Hopkirk, a petite and blonde woman.

I turned to look at the boys' new appearances. Ron was now a short, mousy man called Reginald Cattermole. Harry had grown about six inches, and was now Albert Runcorn, a powerful, intimidating man.

As we passed a shop window, I admired my new appearance. I was now very average looking. My hair was a medium brown, my skin was a caramel color, and I was of a regular height. I hoped that my average looks would help me to stay hidden, since I would be nervous anyways. I had taken some papers from her pocket when I took her hair for the Polyjuice Potion. It appeared she was a temporary employee working as a secretary. Morgan Hadden didn't seem to be incredible in any way, so I hoped blending in would be easy.

I followed Hermione. I maintained a distance to her, since I didn't know if our new personas were acquantances. We both headed into a public bathrooms and waited in lines for stalls.

My hands were shaking as I waited and waited. Finally, it was my turn to go in. I took a deep breath and went in to the stall. It was truly the point of no return.

Five minutes later, we were all in the atrium. I spotted Harry, Ron and Hermione, and we all got in the same lift.

At the next floor, a man I recognized as Yaxley, the Death Eater, got in the lift. The air got really tense as we didn't know how to interact with him.

"Cattermole," Yaxley said. "It's raining in my office."

Ron snorted. I couldn't blame him, it was a funny .

"You think that's funny?" Yaxley asked, shaking his head. "Well, it isn't my wife whose blood status is being challenged today... I would get on fixing it or your wife may be in an even more dire position..."

At the next floor, they both got off, and a woman stepped on. "Morgan!" she said.

I turned around to face her. "Yes?" I asked.

"You're going to be late!" she said. I had no idea who she was, but I decided to trust her. "You're so absent minded."

"Right," I said. I looked to my right towards Hermione and Harry. Harry just nodded at me, which I took to mean to follow her.

"You're working for Evan Smythe this week, department of Magical Transportation. And you're nearly late! He's in a meeting with Greg Hammond in ten minutes. Here's the notes, go!" She thrust a folder into my hands and we got off the lift.

In my chest, my heart beat wildly. Part of me was overwhelmingly stressed out. I had screwed up every bit of Harry's plan. I had no idea what was going to happen from here... I would just have to play it by ear and hope I didn't get left behind. The other part of me was ecstatic... Greg Hammond was my father, and he was here, he was alive, and I was about to see him. I couldn't wait. I wondered if I would be able to keep my cool, then remembered I would have to. I tried to take a deep breath as we walked into his department. She pointed me towards a conference room and I went in.

I found Evan Smythe in there alone, waiting for me. "You're late," he said. I remembered him from some of my father's work parties when I was younger. Although he was probably my father's best friend at work, he was cranky. I may have been late, but I was still there before everyone else was.

"I'm sorry," I said. I took my seat and opened the folder the mystery girl had handed to me. In it,.I found a quill, so I prepared to take notes.

A few other men filed in and prepared for the meeting, but my dad was last to get there. Seeing him walk in to the room was surreal. Although it had only been a few weeks since I had last seen him, he had changed dramatically. The hair at his temples was even grayer than previously, and the bags under his eyes had gone from being a sign of a slight workaholic to a serious sign of something worse.

Perhaps the thing that scared me the most is that he wasn't wearing his wedding ring. The made me question everything. Where was Vera? I hoped Madeline and Cecelia were with their father. They would be safe there, at least.

I realized I was too focused on the fact that I was in the same room as my father and not focusing on take notes and making it look like I was supposed to be here. Dad started talking about how they were focusing on monitoring the Floo systems. It sounded like the new program was blocking as much travel as possible for Muggleborns. It was hard to believe my father was in charge of these horrid measures, but I tried to convince myself he was just playing the part, much like I was right now.

"All right, I believe that is enough for today... Smythe, a word?" he asked. Everyone else slowly filed out.

Smythe turned to me. "Wait in my office, I've got a task for you when I'm done in this meeting,: he said.

As soon as I left the room, Dad went to shut the door. I waited outside and could still hear them.

"Any word from your daughter?" Smythe asked.

I realised they were talking about me. It felt so odd.

"No," he said. "I have begun to fear the worst..."

I just blinked. My father thought I was dead. That was so painful to me... I had caused him so much pain. Was it worth it? I could easily blow my cover here and now and go home and everything would be all right.

"How is everything else going?" Smythe asked.

"I'm afraid today may be my last day here," he said. "Things are getting dangerous. Even though everyone believes I've left Vera, there is an awful lot of suspicion."

"Where are you going?" Smythe asked.

"Vera's sister has a vacation home in France, may be best to hide out there for awhile. Robert will be safe, he's working at Gringott's with the Aurors. Katherine... well, obviously she doesn't want to be found..."

"Let me know if there's anything I can do," Smythe said.

"Thanks, Smythe," my father said.

I was so engulfed in thought that I almost didn't duck down the hallway when Smythe left the room. My mind was already made up. I was so close to my father, my mind was already made up on what I was about to do.

It took a few minutes for my father to leave the room. I followed him down the hallway towards his office.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

Dad turned around. "Can I help you?" he asked.

"I just... I just had something I wanted to say," I said.

"Well, come in," he said, holding the door to his office open for me.

My hands shook. I wasn't so secure in what I was about to do, but I was doing it anyways...

"Katherine is okay," I said.

"What?" he asked, this time actually paying attention to what I was saying.

"Katherine," I said my name slowly. "Is okay."

"How do you know?" he asked, stepping around his desk towards me.

"I..." I hadn't thought this far into the plan. I had the opportunity to completely lose my cover. It was here. It was tempting me...

"Do you know where she is?" he asked. I edged closer to the door. He was nearly menacing.

"She is safe," I said, deciding this was not the time to blow my cover. "I promise she is safe where she is. Don't go looking for her. When it's the right time, she will find you."

And then I bolted. I was running down the hall, knowing I needed to get back to Harry, Ron, and Hermione and we needed to get out of here. As soon as I rounded the corner to a different hallway, I ran into something.

"Oof!" I said, getting knocked to the ground. I looked up and didn't see what I had run into. My heart was beating a million times a minute, and I wasn't thinking clearly enough.

"Kat!" Harry hissed. "I'm under the invisibility cloak, get under!"

For a brief second, I saw part of his leg as I got under the cloak. We rearranged the silky material to cover us both, and I was able to let out a sigh of relief.

"Morgan!" my dad called, bounding into the empty hallway. He looked confused by the fact that the hallway appeared empty. He shook his head, and continued walking, but Harry pulled me to the side.

"You went and found your father." he said, an eyebrow raised.

"Well, mostly I was playing the part of Morgan," I explained.

He sighed angrily. "Come on, Kat. You've caused enough trouble today... we need to get Ron and Hermione and get out of here."

I was pissed at him acting like this was completely my fault. I claimed some responsibility, but not all of this was my doing... fate had thrown me in this position, and he knew that.

I took a deep breath and realized that the middle of the Ministry was not the place to get in a shouting match with Harry, so I needed to calm down and focus on finding Ron and Hermione and then getting all of us out of here safely.

"Where are they?" I asked.

"Shh!" he shushed me. I could just see how angry he was at me. "Ron is still fixing Yaxley's office and Hermione is down in the court rooms with Umbridge. We'll go get her first. I'm getting out from under the cloak, but you stay close."

Suddenly I was alone under the cloak and he was already halfway down the hall. It was as if he wanted to lose me. I kept up though. We took a lift down, down to the court rooms.

A cold gust of air hit my feet, and worked it's way up my body.

"Dementors," he hissed.

We walked down the hallway and it just got worse... it felt as if someone had grabbed me by the hair and shoved me face first into my worst memories. The worst parts of my relationship with Adam... missing my mother... Vera making me feel so unwelcome in my own home...

"Harry," I choked out, not sure I was going to be able to continue. We walked past the huge dementors. I had never been this close to one before and hoped I never would be again. They were the most terrifying thing I had ever encountered.

"Just keep moving," he said.

There was a terrible, thick air that was hard to breathe in. I felt like I was gasping for air that my lungs had no idea how to use. Before we went any further, he ducked back under the cloak.

"No, no, I'm a half-blood! I'm a half-blood, I tell you! My father was a wizard, he was!" the sound of someones sobs filled the dense air as two large wooden doors opened.

"This is your final warning. if you struggle, you will be subjected to the Dementor's Kiss," Umbridge's voice sounded over the screaming man. It was such a disturbing sight that I felt sick to my stomach.

"Next- Mary Cattermole," Umbridge's sickly sweet voice called.

I knew that was the wife of the man that Ron had impersonated. Harry led me into the courtroom behind Mary. She was crying and that masked our noise.

The room was eery. Dementors were everywhere, and it felt colder than the hallway. We were in a hell on earth, that was for sure. Umbridge was sitting on a platform with Yaxley on one side of her and Hermione on the other.

Harry took us up the steps of the platform towards Hermione. I didn't pay attention to Mary Cattermole sitting below us. Her sobs went right through me, so I paid attention to where I was stepping instead.

We climbed up the platform to get to Hermione. Up here, it felt much better... the effects of the dementors were weakened by Umbridge's Patronus. I held my breath as we passed Yaxley and Umbridge, terrified of tripping and revealing that we were there. We got right behind Hermione and then waited.

"We're behind you," Harry whispered.

I watched her jump and nearly spill her ink pot. I gasped, thinking that would give us away, but Yaxley and Umbridge were both focused on Mary Cattermole. I could see a glint of gold hanging around Umbridge's chest...

"...Mafalda, pass me the questionnaire," Umbridge said.

"Oh, yes, of course," Hermione said, shuffling through the papers. She handed it to Umbridge. "That's pretty, Dolores."

Umbridge looked down at the pendant. "Oh, yes. An old family heirloom. S is for Selwyn... I am related to the Selwyns. Indeed, there are few pure-blood families I am not related to."

I could see Harry fuming beside me. I wasn't exactly sure where to go from here. I would have to wait for Harry to reveal what he was doing next.

He took his wand out of his wand out of his pocket and raised it. He didn't seem to care that his arm was now visible outside of the cloak. "Stupefy!"

Umbridge crumpled forward, hitting her head. My eyes shot to Yaxley, who looked rather confused. "Stupefy!" Harry shouted again. He slid to the floor.

Harry tugged off the Invisibility Cloak and I took a second to just reflect on exactly what we were doing here. The eeriness of the Dementors, the fact that we had just taken down two extremely powerful government workers...

It was surreal. For the first time, it clicked just how important what we were doing was. And I was ready.

**Author's Note:** I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I could give you a ton of excuses on _why_ this chapter took ages, however, they're just excuses. I hope you guys like this chapter, hopefully the story is starting to get exciting. Let me know.


	19. Chapter 19

Harry went over and took the necklace off Umbridge's fat neck. But I didn't see that. Instead, I was focusing on the Dementors that were both getting closer to Mary Cattermole... and to us.

"Harry..." I said, just a little terror creeping in to my voice.

"Expecto... Expecto... Expecto Patronum," Hermione said. I turned around and could see she was just as scared as I was.

"You can do it, Hermione," Harry encouraged.

"Expecto Patronum!" she said, although it was still weak. A silver otter left her wand, and that protected us, but Mary Cattermole was still left without any protection.

Mary Cattermole was screaming, so Harry rushed down the platform and cast his Patronus. A stag burst from his wand and caused the Dementors to scatter. I felt I could breath again. I watched as Harry got Mary Cattermole out of the chair. "What are you doing?" she asked. "Reg said you were the one that turned us in."

"Oh," Harry said, looking a bit distracted. "Well, changed my mind. Let's get out of here."

"What's going on?" she asked, her voice getting frantic. She looked very scared, and I didn't really blame her. I knew more of what was going on and my heart was still thumping away violently in my chest.

"We're getting you out of here," Harry said. "Then you go home, collect your children, and hide. Now please, be quiet and trust me and everything will work out."

"Harry..." Hermione trailed off. "How are we going to go out there? There's hundreds of dementors."

"Patronuses," he said. "Kat, you cast one as well."

"I..." I started. I didn't exactly know how to tell him that I had never learned how to cast a Patronus.

"Do you know how to?" Hermione asked. I was so glad that she was taking charge

I shook my head. "No," I said quietly.

"Stay close to me," she said, so I did. We went out the big doors to the court room and were hit with a huge gust of icy air. The Dementors were _everywhere._ I gulped, but soon they dispersed as Harry and Hermione cast their Patronuses.

"You're all to go home, go into hiding, go abroad if you can," Harry yelled. He was still Runcorn to the Muggleborns, which was terrifying. "That is our new stance on Muggleborns. Now, to get out of here, safely, everyone without a wand find someone who _does_ have a wand and follow them. If you do have a wand, I want you to cast a Patronus charm, that will help keep the Dementor's away. Come on then, quickly!"

We all made our way up the stairs, going quickly and quietly. There was a large, dense tension in the air, as they were unsure of what was going on, and we knew our time here was very limited. There were so many ways this could get screwed up...

The lift at the top of the stairs opened, and Ron stepped out.

Mary Cattermole threw herself into Ron's arms, thinking it was her husband. "Oh, Reg," she sobbed. "They're letting us go, they said to go home and get the children and hide... Oh, dear, you're wet!"

"It's just water," Ron said, though he took a step away from her in the meantime.

"Anyways, Harry, they know there are intruders in the Ministry. Someone said something about there being a hole in Umbridge's office? I recon we've got five minutes-"

_Pop._

Hermione's Patronus disappeared. Her face went white as a sheet, and that was how I knew things had just gotten drastically dangerous.

"We've got to move fast then," Harry said. We all got in the lifts, the Muggleborns following us. I was shoved in a corner of the lift, behind Harry, and just stayed there. I was scared, not sure if it was more than I was supposed to. I looked to Harry. I didn't find his appearance, as Albert Runcon, comforting at all. However, I could see the worry that was in his eyes, and I just chewed on my lip. I wanted to see the outside of the Ministry so badly.

The lift did its job, riding up to the Atrium. When the doors clanked open, a cool voice announced "Level eight. Atrium."

It appeared we were in trouble. Ministry workers were at the fire places, sealing them up already. There was no way out. An extreme feeling of claustrophobia washed over me and I had to remember to breath.

"Fuck," Ron said under his breath. I couldn't have agreed more, really.

"STOP!" Harry yelled. The walls of the Atrium reverberated the sound well. It was a booming noise that scared every worker. "Follow me."

"Erm," a fat and balding man said. "What's up, Runcorn?"

Harry tried to make himself look authoritative, though even me looked a little scared. "This lot will leave before all of the exits are sealed."

All of the men sealing up the fireplace froze. "We have been told to seal all exits and not to let anyone out."

"Are you questioning _me_?" Harry snarled. That seemed to convince the people to let them though. "Their blood has been determined as pure. Off you go!"

"Mary!"

Mary Cattermole turned around, and so did we all. We turned to see Reg Cattermole- the _real _ Reg Cattermole running towards us.

"Fuck," Ron said under his breath again. I wanted to be sick. Our cover was completely blown.

"What in the hell is going on?" Reg Cattermole asked, looking from Ron to his wife.

"SEAL THE EXIT!" Yaxley's voice sounded out before he was even seen. He came out of one of the lifts.

I knew it. We were done. This was it. I should have just stayed in my father's office and told him everything that had happened. I would have been safe. Now, I was going to be tortured or killed and my father would never know what happened.

Harry created a diversion by punching one of the men who had been sealing the fireplaces off. "He's been helping the Muggle-borns escape, Yaxley!"

Ron grabbed Mary Cattermole and they went through the lone open fireplace. I was a little relieved, that at least she was going to get out safe. She would be able to take her kids out of the country. They would be safe. We had saved one family.

Reg Cattermole, however, did not like that his wife had just disappeared with someone who looked exactly like he did. "My wife! Who was with my wife? What is going on?"

Yaxley's line of vision locked on to us. It began to dawn on him who were were.

"Katherine!" a voice called. I turned around to see my father standing there, looking very confused. I didn't have time to deal with him at the moment, as Harry's arm yanked me into the fireplace behind him.

"I'm- sorry-" I breathed, though I knew Dad wasn't able to hear me.

We were in a toilet stall. Which was exceptionally crowded with three of us in it, so luckily Hermione opened the door.

"Let go!" Ron shouted. "I am not your husband and you need to go home!"

A loud crackling noise hit my ears and made me shudder. I realised the sound was Yaxley had entered the bathroom.

"LET'S GO!" Harry yelled.

I held on tightly to Harry as Hermione aparated us all. I shut my eyes, because I knew if I kept them open, it would hurt my head. I felt my feet touch the ground, but it was only for the briefest second and a loud scream before we moved again.

What seemed like an eternity later, we landed on the ground. It seemed we were in some sort of clearing in the middle of the woods.

"I tried to go back to Grimmauld Place but Yaxley was hanging on to me and I knew we had to get away," Hermione said, obviously upset.

"Did you bring him past the Secret Keeper's line?" Harry asked, urgency in his voice.

I was only half paying attention to their conversation. I was more focused on the fact that we were outside! And we were safe! I got up out of the grass, so happy to be here.

I looked over to Ron, who had yet to get up, and saw that he was bleeding. His arm was obviously Splinched as blood began to soak his shirt.

Hermione followed my line of vision and screamed at the sight of blood. It was actually very scary to see so much blood coming out of him.

I reached into my bag and began to look for the potions that might fix this. Blood replenishing seemed like a good way to start. I uncorked the potion and handed it to Hermione.

"I've got this under control," she said, taking the potion. I had to admit, she definitely didn't sound as if she could handle it, she seemed hysterical, but I wasn't sure it would be beneficial to help her if she didn't want the help. "You and Harry put some protective spells up."

Harry had already started to put up some charms. I had no idea what I was doing, so I went to ask him for help. "Salvio Hexia!...Protego Totalum!" he shouted, raising his wand to the sky.

"What should I do?" I asked him.

"I'm all set," he said. The tone of his voice made it clear he was very angry with me.

This lit a fire within me. It was _not _ my fault! So what if I had found my father... I didn't do it on purpose. "You're being a prat," I told him, crossing my arms.

"You nearly cost us the necklace," he said. "If your father had blown our cover we would be dead."

"But he didn't!" I shouted. "Why would he do that? It makes no sense. Why would he put me in more danger than necessary?"

"I could ask you the same question, Kat," he spat. "You did something reckless and stupid and we nearly all paid the price."

"I can't believe you!" I told him. I was getting so upset... he was blaming it all on me when we had all screwed up today. It didn't even matter, really. We had the necklace and we had gotten out safe.

Hermione came up behind me, which scared me. She must have heard our screaming, which embarrassed me. "Go finish healing Ron," she said quietly, and joined Harry in putting up charms for our safety.

However, I did as I was told. "How are you feeling?" I asked Ron, kneeling down next to him.

"Oh, fantastic. Most fun I've had in weeks," he said, hardly opening his eyes. I couldn't help but smile, as it was a little funny. I finished cleaning the cut with some potion Hermione had, and then started to heal him.

"You'll probably have a funny scar there," I told him. He had splinched a good amount of skin off.

"That's okay," he said. I guessed Hermione gave him some pain potion, as he seemed to be pretty relaxed. "I'm on your side, you know."

"Oh," I said. I was surprised. I had never really talked to Ron alone before... he was always there but we usually skirted around each other.

"I saw my Dad while I was in there and if Harry hadn't been with me I would have said something... it's hard to be out here, away from family, worrying about them all the time."

I smiled a little wider. Ron knew exactly what I was going through. It made me feel like I wasn't so crazy anymore. "Yeah," I said, for lack of something better to do.

"It's different for them," he said, quietly. "Hermione sent her parents to Australia, so she knows that they're safe, and Harry... well, he doesn't really have anyone."

"So they don't understand what it's like to have a constant, gnawing feeling in your stomach that your family is _not_ okay," I said, mostly thinking out loud. I had fished an older, worn shirt out of my bag and used it to bandage up Ron's arm. The skin was all new and I didn't want to get damaged. I sighed when I was done with it, as it meant he was okay. He wasn't going to bleed out on the ground in front of me.

I was done healing Ron, so I helped him up. We turned around to find Harry and Hermione had set up the tent. It was a lot smaller than I had imagined it to be when Harry had first said we would be living in a tent. It seemed the tent was just for sleeping, and even that seemed like we would be sleeping on top of each other.

"Want to go check it out?" he asked.

I nodded, crossing my arms. I didn't particularly want to be around Harry right now. I didn't want to keep fighting and we were both far too angry to see things from the others' perspective today. We had other things to focus on, like what we would be eating that afternoon and setting up the tent.

**Author's Note:** Here's another chapter! And it's one you didn't have to wait two weeks for! Is that a success or what? Luckily, the Hurricane this weekend gave me some time to get writing done. Will try and get two more chapters out prior to the start of school next week as I'm going to get awful busy fall semester (college applications, working part time, producing a show...) but I promise you will get updates as often as humanly possible. Any errors (and I'm sure there are... I sure miss having a beta :() in this chapter are mine. Please let me know what you think!


	20. Chapter 20

"Ooh," I said, stepping into the tent for the first time. I was surprised by the relative grandeur of the tent. It was much nicer than I expected. "It's bigger on the inside!"

There were four separate sections of the tent. When you first walked in, there was what I decided was the Living Room. It had a couch and a table and was enough height that only Ron had to duck a little.

At the end of that there was a little kitchen area. There was a stove and another table, this one surrounded by four rickety chairs. This was perfect for us.

And then two bedroom type areas. Harry and Ron would share one and Hermione and I would take the others. I headed into the one on the right to find bunk beds and a dry sink. Setting my stuff down on the bottom bunk, I sat down and rested for a moment.

I could hear all the wildlife that was alive just outside the thin layer of canvas. A gust of wind blew and I heard leaves rustling. It was kind of nice. I looked under the bed and found a stack of rugs and thick blankets. I took one of them and used it to give the bottom bunk some privacy. Next, I grabbed my journal.

I wrote about everything that happened today. From leaving Grimmauld Place for the last time to seeing my father and being angry at Harry. As the words flowed onto the paper, I started feeling much better... it was great to have it off my chest. Of course I still had to deal with Harry, however, that would come in time.

As soon as I felt like I had nothing else to write, I laid back and shut my eyes for a few minutes. When I woke up, I knew it was later, though I couldn't immediately discern whether it twenty minutes or three hours had passed.

I wandered out into the main room of the tent to find Ron half asleep on the couch. He was probably tired from the blood loss earlier. "They're outside," he said, nodding towards the door of the tent.

"Thanks," I said. I found them sitting on the hillside talking. It was dusk, which meant I had slept for a long time. "Am I interrupting?"

Hermione shook her head. "Not at all." she said.

"Do you guys want me to go get dinner together?" I asked. It was late and I knew that I was hungry, so I guessed they were too. Plus it would be good to get food in Ron's stomach so he could get stronger.

"What're we having?" Harry asked. He wasn't being openly mean to me like he had been earlier, however it wasn't asked in the most benevolent tone.

"I'll let you know," I said, getting up and going back inside the tent. I wanted to be able to get to some sort of market to get fresh food. Security would be an issue I knew I would face with that, however, I knew I was the least recognizable of us, and that if I went quick we could get much better food.

I managed to scrounge up a meal though. There was a small hearth in the kitchen that I was able to cook pasta over. I also heated up a can of mixed vegetables and cut up a small piece of cheese to add to it. It wasn't the nicest of all meals, however, it was balanced enough and would be much nicer than spending all night hungry. At the bottom of my bag I found a small bottle of wine. I thought after today we all deserved it, but the only cups I could find were tea cups that had been left inside the tent. I couldn't help but chuckle a the fact that we were drinking wine out of _tea cups._

Harry came in and moved a sleeping Ron from the living room to their bunk. Then I divided the pasta I had made into three and took it to the living room.

"Dinner is served," I said, handing them each bowls. We all chuckled a little at that but then got right to eating it.

"This actually isn't bad," Harry said. I was skeptical of his mood, as it had improved greatly from earlier.

"I tried," I said. We ate the meal in relative silence. They were both on the couch while I was curled up in an armchair.

"We're going to be taking shifts keeping watch tonight," Hermione said. "If we each watch for around three hours we should each get plenty of sleep."

"Would you like me to take first watch?" I asked them. They were both tired looking, as neither of them had gotten to nap like I had.

"That sounds great," she said. "Harry will take second and I'll take third. Ron will obviously sit this one out..."

"All right," I said.

"Oh, and we're going to take turns wearing the necklace," she said, pulling it off her own neck and holding it in her hand.

"Can I see?" I asked. She handed it to me, and I instantly felt ill. Just holding the necklace in my hands made me feel twitchy. It was hard to sit still. The locket pulsed in my grasp and that freaked me out. didn't like how it made me feel and I certainly didn't want to hold it any longer. Wearing it for my shift would certainly be interesting. "That thing is freaky."

"Well, there is part of a soul in there," Harry reminded me.

That part really freaked me out so I dropped it on the table and slid it back to Hermione. She took it and put it around her neck.

After a little more small talk, they went to bed and I began my watch. I sat near the entrance of the tent, staring out into the dark night. What was I even looking for? After my eyes adjusted to the dark, all I saw was a lone bat flying over head.

The first hour wasn't so bad. The second hour wasn't even that bad, but by the time the third hour rolled around, I was sleepy and it was cold. I felt a bit like all I did was whine about this, but at least most of it was internal.

The sound of movement startled me. I drew my wand, but by then Harry was already in view. He sat down right next to me. I looked at my watch and he was early.

"You can go back to sleep for a bit," I told him quietly. Perhaps I was still angry with him over earlier.

"Thought you might want to get to sleep," he said. "Also, I wanted to talk to you.'

I exhaled. "Those two things sound pretty mutually exclusive," I told him.

He chuckled and nodded. "Okay. First I want to talk to you. Then you can go to sleep."'

"All right," I said. "Go."

"I just want to say that I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier," he said. "We just screwed up in so many directions today and you were easy to take it out on."

I nodded. A little time had passed so I wasn't quite as angry as I had been earlier. "Tension is high," I said. "I don't think it's going to always be fun to be out here."

"And you're completely correct," he said. "but I overreacted."

I just nodded. I was tired and didn't have much else to say. I reached out and took ahold of a frayed string that was on the end of his jacket because it was sticking out and bothering me. I plucked it away and felt much better.

"How was your first night watch?" he asked to fill the silence that had accumulated between us. It was uncomfortable, though.

"I fought off seven Death Eaters," I joked quietly. "And You-Know-Who himself. I told him if he wanted to see you he had to come during normal office hours."

It was something I wouldn't have said if I hadn't been so tired and had my mental guard down. He snorted. "You're funny, Kat."

I smiled a little smile at that. His arm reached out around me, and I leaned into the embrace. The soft, worn material of his jacket brushed against my face and I smiled.

For a small second, it was the most lovely embrace I had ever felt. In that moment, I felt so secure. I had nothing to worry about. Harry was here in front of me, his arms around me tenderly, protecting me. We were merely on a camping trip together with friends...

I let my mind wander to what things might be like if we hadn't been thrust into this twisted treasure hunt. Would Harry and I be together?

I snapped out of it. I couldn't think like that right now. That wasn't allowed. I had to focus on the task at hand: finding the Horcruxes, destroying them, and then destroying Voldemort. There was no room to fancy anyone in that goal. None at all. Although most of me didn't want to, the rational part of me pulled away.

"Good night Harry," I said quietly, a hearty longing feeling settling itself in the pit of my stomach.

"Night, Kat." he said.

~.~

Although I was exhausted, sleep evaded me. I had so much on my mind and didn't want to acknowledge any of it. So I laid down, trying to focus on the sounds of nature outside the canvas.

I must have fallen asleep at some point, waking briefly when Hermione went to take her watch. When I woke up again, I could tell it was mid morning.

I got dressed and went out to see what the plan for today was. I knew that I wanted to get more food. We weren't going to eat cheese and crackers and wine from tea cups for every meal. We had to stay strong and healthy and eating a good diet would help. There was no room in this trip for illness.

I found my friends around a fire just outside the tent. It was a crisp morning, just enough to remind me that we were moving away from summer and into autumn.

"Good morning," I said, sitting down next to Hermione. I wondered how long they had been sitting out here. Ron sat on the other side of the fire and looked much better than he had last night.

"Morning," they chorused.

I noticed the locket was hanging around Ron's neck. Harry, Hermione, and Ron had all taken their turn in wearing it, which meant I would have to put it on soon.

"How much food have we got?" Hermione asked.

"Not enough," I said. "Are we near any village? I'd love to get some fresh produce and maybe some meat."

It seemed as if all of our stomachs all growled at once. I saw Hermione and Harry exchange a glace. "It could probably be arranged," Harry said. "You would just have to go alone. It isn't widely known that you're with us yet, and you wouldn't be as easy to recognize as one of us."

I nodded. "That's fine. I just need ten minutes in a shop," I explained. We had some more bread for breakfast. After that, I went to a nearby village to get food. It felt so wonderful to have just a few minutes alone while shopping. I didn't have to pretend anything... it was just me inspecting which tomatoes looked the best and which chicken would smell delicious roasting over our fire.

The High Street of the small village I'd stumbled upon also had a consignment shop. I took advantage of the fact that I was out and had money. Who knew when I would get out again?

By the time I apparated back to the tent, I had a huge bag full of fall clothes. It was mostly men's stuff however I knew Hermione and I would use them. We had no one to impress here.

She was excited when I showed her the bag of stuff, and disappeared into our room. I didn't particularly feel like following.

"Kat?" Harry asked. "Will you come with me?"

"Where?" I asked. He had managed to pique my interest. His question made it sound like there was somewhere else to go beside the tent or the little fire pit we had made.

"Just going for a walk," he said. "I'd like to show you how to cast a Patronus."

I nodded. After yesterday's fiasco with the Dementors, it seemed like something I really ought to know. I had just never been able to manage it in school. It required far too much reaction. I was much better with a wand if I had a minute to think things through.

I followed him out through the woods through a seriously overgrown path. "Where are we exactly?" I questioned.

"They had the Quidditch World Cup around here a few years ago," he said. He held back a branch so it didn't snap into my face.

That made sense... the path here was a remnant from that. We ended up in a small clearing. We stood close to the edge of it, and he held out his wand.

"Expecto Patronum!" he said. His voice was clear and firm, and a stag soared out of his wand and pranced around the field. "Think you can do that?"

I nodded. He made it seem easy. I picked up my wand and pointed it towards the center of the field. "Expecto Patronum," I said. I tried to mimic Harry's firm tone but failed. Nothing happened to my wand.

"Okay," Harry said. "First, you have to get the movement right. It's a quick flick of the wrist."

I practiced a few times, until he was pleased with the movement I made. I swatted my hand outwards to satisfy his instructions.

"Now comes the hard part. Think of your happiest memory." he instructed.

I set to work thinking. It didn't come to me right away. My happy memories usually involved Adam, however none of them were special. I couldn't choose one that stood out from the rest. Instead I tried to cling to the feelings the memories evoked in me. I had felt safe, I had felt happy, and I had felt loved. It was a good feeling.

"Now try again," he said softly.

"Expecto Patronum!" I yelled. I had a lot of emotional involved in it this time... and it worked.

A white, ghostlike ewe floated through the air and around the field.

**Author's Note: Twenty chapters already? WOW! Thanks for all the reviews, everyone! I really appreciate them. Once again, sorry for taking half of forever to update. I will plan on updating this story on the first and fifteenth of the month, as then you will always know when to expect updates. I will try to update more of the than that though! Let me know what you think. **


	21. Chapter 21

Harry cast his Patronus, and the ewe followed his stag around the field. The rolled playfully through the long grass.

"Good job," he said. I broke my concentration with the spell and the ewe faded away. I was really pleased with myself. It hadn't taken long to learn and I seemed to be pretty good. Mastering the spell was easier than I had thought it was going to be. It would be harder in a real situation because I was terrible with thinking on the spot, but at least now I knew how to do it.

As we stood in the field, neither of ustalking to the other, I tried to analyze what the ewe said about me. It surely wasn't saying I was smart. It was with sheer stupidity that it would clear dementors from my path.

"Interesting," he commented, breaking the silence that had settled between us in the last few minutes.

"So my patronus means I'm stupid," I said, just a little miffed. "And you think that's interesting."

"No," he said, shaking his head. "Ewe's are useful to have around, aren't they? Like their fur... and milk... plus they're kind of cute, right?"

"I guess they're cute," I sighed. If someone asked me to name a cute animal, an ewe was not anywhere on my list. "Until they're cut up and served for dinner. And I'd like to think I have more independence than it does... I don't need a stag to follow around."

"Well," he began, "You followed us here... didn't you?"

"I guess," I reminded him. I was sick of where this conversation might go and wanted to change the topic. "Anyways... is that good? Do I need to do it again?"

"Once more," he said.

It was harder to muster up the happy, secure feelings the second time, but I got it done anyways. This time, my ewe had nothing to chase around so she just sort of stood there.

"Good job today, Kat," he said, quietly.

"Thanks," I said.

He started walking back to the tent and I followed him. Night was coming. The days were getting shorter as we pushed onwards into fall. "Can I ask what memory you used to conjure that?"

I just shrugged. "I didn't exactly use one memory," I said.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"It was easier for me to feel happy by remembering how Adam made me feel... the safety and stability in that time of my life. I had so much control over my life! And I felt loved. It was really good for me," I said. "I mean, the good times, obviously."

"I see," he said, though it didn't sound genuine. We finished walking through the woods before we spoke again. "That's interesting, though... using the feelings."

I nodded. As soon as we got to the tent, I started work on dinner. It would be so nice to have a real meal...

Just before we ate, Harry came out of the tent with the locket in his hands. "Kat, I'm really sorry, but it's your turn to wear the locket," he said.

I took it from him and slung it around my neck. "It's okay," I said. As soon as it was around my neck I immediately felt _different_.

My skin was crawling... I could have sworn there were ants all over me. And my anxiety increased by a hundred fold. I did not like it at all. Focusing on cooking and the delicious smell of meat over a fire was the only thing that kept me sane.

I put our food on plates and brought them inside for dinner. I had to keep my focus on this or else I would lose it completely. There was a constant feeling of dread inside me that I just couldn't seem to shake.

I knew the dinner I had made was good when Ron took seconds. They talked while we ate but I couldn't bring myself to add much to the conversation.

"How did you lot deal with this?" I asked, as the pressure built up inside me. It was the locket that was messing me up, I knew it, and there was nothing I could do.

"Deal with what?" Hermione said, leaning forward and looking confused.

"How do you not know what I'm talking about?" I snapped. I stood up as I couldn't sit any longer. Every single part of my body wanted to be away from every other part.

"Calm down, Kat," Hermione said, standing up. "It's okay. Why don't you just go lay down? That might help... when you wake up you won't have to wear it anymore."

I just nodded and walked to my room. I blew out the candle on the table cos the light made my eyes hurt. Everything was itchy, so I took out a vial of a calming drought. There was no way I would sleep without it.

It kicked in and I tried to focus on something, anything other than the locket... it was the epicenter of this anxiety.

The sound of rain falling was calming, luckily, and eventually I could fight no longer. Sleep was not much better than being awake. I had terrifying nightmares about my family getting hurt and being in danger. They were _not _what I needed right now.

"_Why did you do this?" my dream father asked me. He was so sad. His hair was even grayer than it had been that day at the Ministry. "You disgraced us. It is your actions that have torn this family apart and now you will have to live with those consequences for the rest of your life."_

_Then a mysterious person who was out of the realm of my dream sent a spell that caused my father to fall over. Dead._

I woke up. Who wouldn't, after seeing their father killed? I was drenched in sweat, similar to a fever breaking, though the locket's hold on me had yet to subside. I knew it would take until I took it off for me to get any relief.

As I lay awake on the thin mattress, I had a lot of time to think. I _needed_ to think, to distract myself from the dream I had. I couldn't think about the dream I had or I would surely go mad.

The fact that an inanimate object was causing such a reaction within me scared me. It was stronger than any potion that I knew how to make. I pulled out my journal, wanting to write down how I felt.

The scratching of the quill against paper and the smudging of ink against my fingers was what I needed. Rerouting thoughts to my fingertips, the pages were filled quickly. My normally neat hand writing was smudged and messy, the thoughts were coming out so rapidly.

_What am I doing here? Why aren't I home with Dad? What is the point of this war? Why did I let them drag me here? I should be home. I shouldn't be here. I should still be with Adam and feel safe and not have to worry about where my next meal comes from. It's getting cold and I'm sick of them. I haven't ever felt this lonely in my life. I want a real bed and a hot shower, and to get away from these idiots who have no idea what they're doing and are going to get me killed in the process. Maybe that's what they want. Maybe it's just that easy. If I just offed myself... _

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I couldn't think like that.

After another fitful few hours of sleep, Harry came in. "Kat, it's time for your watch," he said. "And I will take the locket."

I rolled out of bed and stood up. I followed him out into the main room before handing him the locket. As soon as I took it off, I felt a little lightheaded and decided to slump down into the couch. Overall, having gotten rid of the locket made me feel a thousand times better.

"How do you wear that without feeling so ...manic?" I asked him. Even though I was awake and grounded again, the nightmares I had still terrorized me.

"I mean, it gets to me too," he said, as if he was choosing his words slowly."but I try not to let it in... I've dealt with this stuff longer than you have. I've seen more..."

"Certainly," I said. "I'm not sure I even want to know what you've seen."

"I'm not sure I'd tell you," he replied.

While not sure what to make with the fact he wouldn't tell me if I did want to know, I knew he had the locket on. I remembered how I had felt shortly before... the words I had written in my diary. I could never tell them how I felt. There was a certain bit of pride that went with that. I was weak, and I admitted it, but I wasn't _that_ weak.

He took wearing the locket remarkably well. Having never worn it before, I had no idea what to expect. He merely looked tired and possibly a little on edge.

"Did you have nightmares?" he asked, as if he had read my mind.

I nodded. "It was like dreaming a bogart... I saw my family _destroyed._.." I told him.

He nodded. "It plays your weakness," he said. "I haven't yet worn it while I sleep..."

I felt bad that his sleep would be plagued with dark dreams. A glance to my watch told me that by the end of my watch, the sun would be up and it would be a new day. "You should go to sleep then," I reminded him.

"Yeah I should," he said, nodding. "Night, Kat."

"Night," I said quietly.

~.~

Time passed in an odd way in the woods. Some days dragged on, and some days flew. I found that it usually was directly related to whether we had food or not and whether I was wearing the locket. If my stomach was full and I wasn't wearing the locket, it was a _great_ day.

It was one night watch where I was pulling first watch when things greatly changed. Harry was staying up with me because he usually did. I wasn't sure if he didn't trust me or what, but truthfully, I loved the company. Neither of us was wearing the locket, and we had a dinner of fish that Harry and Ron had caught in the river nearby, so we were pretty well off.

He walked to his room, but not before a huge _crack_ resounded throughout the forest. He turned around to look at me, as if he had to make sure he wasn't imagining it. "...what was that?"

We both drew our wands, just in case. It had sounded far away but we had no idea. I went to peer out the tent, but Harry pulled me back. "Stop," he said, quietly. He pulled something out of his pocket, and I recognized is as an Extendable Ear.

He threw the end of it outside the tent and we got down low to listen.

"Griphook, pass the salmon?" a voice I could not recognize asked.

"Goblins," Harry hissed.

From the entrance of the tent, we could smell salmon. Where did the salmon come from? It smelled delicious and my stomach growled even though I was more than full.

"Dean, do you want butterbeer?" a voice that was extremely familiar asked. It was such a shock to my system my heart skipped a beat. A knot of anxiety worked its way into my chest and down my stomach. I had a huge internal conflict over what my mind wanted, what my ears heard, and what my heart knew to be true. My brain tried to trump the rest. It couldn't be. There was no way it was who I thought it was... that was impossible.

Harry looked at me and I knew he thought it was the same person I did. "Is that...?" he asked, his voice trailing off. I could see the concern and shock in his eyes, and wanted to quell it. For both of us.

I shook my head. "No way," I said. "Not possible."

He shrugged and we went back to listening. The sound faded out for a few minutes as we heard the clunking of silverware against plates. I knew these people were eating but I wanted them to stop eating so I could reassure myself.

"Adam, pass me those plates please?"

Adam. I was hearing _Adam. _

_My_ Adam.

**Author's Note: **Woo! An update that didn't take 2+ weeks! It's a little shorter than usual, I know, hopefully you'll forgive me because a lot happens! Also that is where I really wanted to end it... hope you guys don't mind. I'd like to welcome potter-reading-coastie back to my stories as my writing manager, woo! I think my writing will improve in both quality and frequency with him helping! Thanks everyone, let me know what you think.


	22. Chapter 22

"Adam," Harry said slowly, I could tell from his face he was uncomfortable. "Well... this is a surprise."

I took a deep breath before standing up. I _had _to see him. I didn't care how we had left it a few months ago, everything was different now. I couldn't wait to set my eyes on him and have his arms around me and see if he knew anything about my family.

Harry grabbed my arm. "Wait a minute! Don't leave the tent!" he hissed.

"What?" I asked, pulling away from him. I didn't like the way he grabbed me. "Get your hands off of me!"

"I think it could be some sort of trap," he said. "You really think it's a good idea to go out there right now? You have no idea _who_ is really out there. Adam may not even be out there... you don't know_what_is really out there. Stay here, Kat."

I shoved away from him. "He is so close to me. I know this isn't a trap."

"Please Kat, I have a bad feeling about this and I think you're letting your emotions get in the way of a level head," he said, his voice quick. I didn't want to stop to take a second to evaluate if there was any truth in his statements. I just wanted to go and see Adam. "Now stay inside. I'll take your watch from you. Go back to sleep."

"I am not being dismissed that easily," I told him. "You're just jealous that it's my ex out there instead of yours! Now excuse me."

He reeled back as if I had struck him at that comment.

"If you go out there, don't come back," he said, half turning away from me. His tone was standoffish, but not completely. He did sound a little apprehensive.

What a decision that was. I could go out there. This was my chance to leave! Something I had half-wanted for as long as I could remember... I could go out there and find Adam. I would feel safe with Adam, I knew. There was just a level of comfort with Adam that Harry, Ron and Hermione lacked. I stood in front of him for what felt like forever, contemplating whether to stay or go. I couldn't meet his eyes... I didn't want to be influenced by him.

This would be my only chance to get out. If I didn't do it now, I would be stuck out here forever. I faced a terrifying future... death seemed like a strong possibility... injury was near certain at some point. I had no idea when I would get a hot shower or a meal that wasn't cooked over a fire.

But at the same time... I knew most of what was going on here. I knew what the status quo was here and what we were doing. I had no idea who Adam was with or where he was going. Why was he even on the run? He was a pure-blood. Therewas a back story there, and perhaps I wouldn't like it. I would be leaving what I did know for what I used to know... and that was a risk.

"Well?" Harry asked.

I focused on the ground at his feet, still unable to meet his eyes. Leaving was more than just leaving... leaving implied coming back or departing with a good reason. I was going to abandon them. Was I really that type of friend? I didn't like to think so.

Plus, if I walked out the tent and left them, I wouldn't know if they were safe. Of course, I wouldn't know if Adam was safe either, but it came down to choosing whose safety I valued more.

Harry looked into my eyes, "I know this is hard Kat, but Dumbledore once told me something and I think you need to hear it. He told me, 'Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, that we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.' You have to make a decision Kat."

I knew that if I left, then that would be as good as giving up on the fight against Voldemort. I knew my choice would affect more than just myself and Harry. I'd be letting Ron and Hermione down as well.

I looked up at Harry and took a deep breath. "I will stay."

"Good," he said. He got down on the floor again, as if nothing had just happened. Perhaps he thought I wasn't serious about actually leaving.

I paused for a moment, but decided just to let it go. It was not important, really, so I got down on his level.

"Listen," he said.

The Extendable Ears were slightly out of tune, so he adjusted them. I could hear Adam's voice again and it caused so many emotions to rise. He was everything I knew and I missed him, that was for sure. He had been a huge part of my life for so long and even though we had our rough times, I longed for his company. I sighed.

I could feel Harry's eyes on me for a second. I wondered if he thought I was regretful of my decision to stay. I was not.

"So, Adam, what is a pure-blood like you doing out here on the run?" a voice I did not recognize asked him.

"It's kind of a long story..." he trailed off.

"Mate, we got nothing but time out here, so start talking," a voice prompted.

"Okay," he said. I could hear him clear his throat. I wondered what he could possibly say... my heart beat wildly in anticipation.

"You all know Katherine Hammond?" he asked. "Was a year behind me at school... in the same year as Harry Potter, in fact."

"She's been labelled as a runaway in the news, hasn't she?" someone asked.

I looked at Harry. Why did these people know me? That freaked me out.

"Yeah, runaway. Right. Well, she was my girlfriend for... oh, a year and a half, or so," Adam sighed.

"What's this got to do with how you're on the run?"

"I'm getting there," Adam said. I could tell from the tone of his voice, he was a little on edge. "Around... oh, three months ago, now, she showed up in my room in the middle of the night, and broke up with me suddenly. She wouldn't admit it, but I know that she was running off with Potter."

"A bit butt hurt over that, eh?" one of the voices, an older voice, asked.

"Maybe," he said.

I had never really considered if Adam was hurt. Wow. I had been so selfish all this time. I knew he had let our relationship slip in his priorities a lot before it had ended, but I never put myself in his shoes. Was he missing me like I longed for him? I hoped he was okay.

"Anyways," Adam continued. "So she went on the run. Her dad's a pretty influential man at the Ministry, and a pure-blood. However, he's married to a Muggle woman. He publicly divorced her, but I'm not sure how real that is behind the scenes. All of a sudden, I started getting followed. Then, a Death Eater showed up at my flat one night, just wanting to chat about Kat."

I had put Adam into danger. I could feel Harry looking at me, and I hid my face in my arms.

"It's not your fault," Harry said, quietly. "Kat, you know that, right?"

I didn't answer him.

"Obviously, having a Death Eater in my flat freaked me out a _lot_, but I just told them the truth. I had absolutely no idea where she was or what she was doing," he said. "So I went to talk to Kat's father. He was just about to go into hiding, he told me I should do the same. Her older brother is still out there, but he's working with the Aurors, so I'd wager that he will be okay through it. Heard a rumor he got married, but I dunno how true that is. Information's distorted now, isn't it?"

My heart sped up, and I was so grateful. It sounded like Dad and Rob were okay. I didn't know what happened to Vera, I wasn't so concerned about her or her daughters. I just wanted to know that Dad and Rob were safe and sound. I wondered if Rob had gotten married. It didn't seem like something he would do, though I had no idea.

"So where is she now, do you think?"

The thickest silence fell between Harry and I as we waited to hear what he would say.

"Out there, somewhere, I suppose. I don't doubt she's with Potter... they may or may not have had something going on last year, I'm not entirely convinced she was faithful to me, but whatever," he said.

"What bullocks," I said. "That's so not true, he has no reason to suspect that at all! I'm so sorry."

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter, Kat. We both know it isn't true."

"So maybe she's holed up in a flat somewhere, all lovely like with him, or perhaps they're out fighting Voldemort-"

"AHHHHHHHHHH!"

There was a huge commotion outside. I could hear men screaming some maniacal laughter. It sounded like they were being attacked.

I stood up. I wasn't sure what was going on, but I could hear Adam screaming. I walked to the door of the tent and saw fire at the bottom or the field. They were _so _close.

I _ needed _ to help.

Harry was right behind me, though, and he wasn't letting me go _anywhere._ I struggled against his grasp.

"Let go of me," I said, trying to gain some leverage. I couldn't find his weak spot, his grip on me was far too tight.

I started to scream, thinking that might get him off of me. I couldn't just stand here and listen to Adam be attacked. I couldn't do it. His mouth clamped over my mouth, so I bit him.

"Ow!" he said, loosening my grip. Ron came out of his and Harry's bedroom.

"Wassgoin'on?" he asked, hardly awake. He had his wand in his hand, but didn't seem like he was going to use it.

"You bit me!" Harry said, holding his hand.

Ron turned his head. "Am I interrupting something...?" he asked. "Bloody hell, what's going on out there?"

"There was a group of runaways that got attacked by Snatchers," Harry said.

I had tears in my eyes and could feel more coming. Considering the blaze in front of me, I couldn't see how Adam had survived. It didn't seem possible.

I was the reason Adam was dead.

"Let go of me!" I said. "Let go, please just let go."

"Harry?" Ron asked, looking at us, confused. "I think you should let go of Kat."

"She'll go out there and do something stupid," he said.

"If Ginny was out there, you would have gone out and saved her," I said. I didn't even know if he could understand me. It didn't matter. I was so upset, I felt everything going fuzzy.

"Ginny?" Ron asked, looking outside. The fire had begun to die down. No one was left out there, at least not alive. I had so many questions to ask... but I couldn't.

Harry shook his head.

"Let her go," Ron said.

Harry did, and I took a step out of the tent to watch the flames. I could hear Harry explaining what had just happened to Ron, and it made me so sick. I was the cause of all of this. And there wasn't a thing I could do. Tears dripped down the slope of my cheeks, and fell onto the ground.

"Kat?" Harry asked.

I didn't even want to acknowledge him. He came up behind me, but I was not looking at him. I just couldn't even do it right now.

"Kat?" he asked again.

"Go away," I told him. "I don't want to talk to you."

"I really think we should talk, though," he said. He put his hand on my shoulder and I turned around to hit him.

"Leave me alone," I said.

I walked into the tent and into my room. I crawled into the bottom bunk, put up a silencing charm, and cried.

I should have been better prepared for this. I knew that we were doing dangerous stuff out here, and I should have known I would have lost someone. I had never really lost someone before. Well, my mum had died when I was very young, but I didn't remember her, so it hadn't affected me so much.

Before today, I thought that as long as my family was okay, I was okay. I was so so wrong.

This was my loss of innocence, that was for sure. So tonight, I would weep and mourn everything that had disappeared before me tonight. Weep for the loss of the easiness of my relationship with Adam, our innocence. There was no possibility that we would get back together any more. We would never get the flat I dreamed about in Diagon Alley. I would never see him play a professional Quidditch match. There were so many things that would definitely not happen anymore.

And for that, I wept.

**Author's Note: So I know I missed the deadline of the first for this, buuuut I was busy! SATs and buying a car and such. Anyways. This chapter is a big one, I think, and some of you all probably won't be so happy with me for what I've done. I promise, happy stuff is coming! Thanks to potter-reading-coastie for helping me out with the first part of the chapter, that definitely helped! Let me know what you think! **


	23. Chapter 23

When I woke up, it took me a moment to remember what had happened, and I was still foggy.

But the tear induced headache and swollen eyes reminded me. _Adam._

I took a deep breath and tried to get my bearings. Should I have been prepared for this? Was I overreacting? I thought about it, and I couldn't convince myself that I was. I held firmly to the belief that if Ginny had been in a dangerous position last night, Harry would have gone to help her right away.

I couldn't build up the courage to go out there and face them. I knew it was late in the morning. The shadow on the tent's canvas was dark, meaning the sun was high in the sky. They had left me alone.

I wasn't sure I could even talk to Harry. I felt so let down by him. Before, I had thought of him as a hero. I struggled to shed the view of monster now.

"Kat?" Hermione asked, poking her head into our room. "We made breakfast... will you please come out and eat?"

The idea of saying no, like I wanted to, made me feel a bit like I was a toddler having a tantrum. "I'll be right out," I managed, but found my voice awful hoarse.

I put on a sweatshirt, as the air was particularly nippy today. It seemed like the weather was now officially fall. I stepped out of my room quietly and quickly. The three of them sat huddled near the fire, speaking quietly. A pan with eggs cooking in it sat over the fire, though I was not hungry.

I could not bring myself to meet anyone's eyes, so I focused on the fire instead. A quick glance down the hill told me embers were still burning in the camp down there. I wanted to go investigate, but didn't want to while everyone was still watching me.

"Are you going to eat, Kat?" Hermione asked, quietly.

I shook my head. "No, thank you," I mumbled.

Ron scooped the eggs onto his plate and began to eat. For a few minutes, the only sounds were of his fork meeting his plate and the crackling of the fire.

"Ron," Hermione asked when he had finished. "Will you help me with the washing up?"

He nodded and the both went inside. They left me alone. I sighed.

Harry moved closer to me. "I am really sorry, Kat," he said, quietly.

"Sorry doesn't do a thing," I replied. I hugged my knees to my chest. "You know for a fact that if Ginny had been the one getting attacked by whoever the hell that was, you would have moved the earth to make sure she was safe."

"I had to protect you," he told me. "I know you're upset with me, but I couldn't guarantee you would be safe if you went out there..."

"Adam is dead because of you," I told him.

"And you are alive because of me," he said. "I'm not discussing this anymore, Kat. We won't get anywhere. I am not entirely convinced Adam died last night, but you seem pretty firm in that belief."

"Did you not hear what went on last night?" I asked. "Or see the fire?"

He shrugged. "I'm going inside," He stood up. He turned around at the last second. "I forgot, it's your turn to wear this," he said, tossing me the locket.

I sighed and put it on. I _hated _having to wear the locket, though somehow experience made it easier. I was worried that after last night, wearing the locket would be worse. Though at least now, I would have it off before bed. No extra nightmares tonight.

Like I expected, the low hum of anxiety that always surrounded me got a lot harder to deal with, though no freaking out this time.

I was left alone out there, in front of a dying fire. The cold air bit at my face but there was too much on my mind. I was not ready to go in the tent and have to deal with them.

When the fire had pretty much burnt out, I resigned myself to going inside. As I stood up, the camp caught my eye. I just had to go see what was left.

The distance between our camp and where the other men had set up was further than it looked. They were at the bottom of the hill, and we were at the top, and the steep climb was slippery, but I was determined.

When I was only about fifty feet away, a tree root caused me to trip. The sudden collision on my face to the ground was discouraging, but after a moment, I realized I was all right. No twisted ankles or broken bones, and no one around to see it. The only things that hurt were the palms of my hands.

I walked into their camp. Most of what had been here was now ashes. Remnants of their salmon dinner were charcoal in a tray above the fire. Everything smelled like smoke.

I didn't see any bodies. I prepared myself for that, but I didn't need to. So what had happened to them? I wondered. Did whoever attacked them last night capture them? Had they all been killed and their bodies taken? Or had they escaped?

I hoped they had all escaped. I had not one shred of hope, but this was undeniably a little suspicious. Maybe they were all fine and safe now, somewhere eating a good meal.

But I couldn't guarantee that, so I still worried. I stood in the midst of the ashy camp for awhile. I didn't know what to do with myself.

"Kat?" a voice called.

I turned around to find that Ron had joined me. From the way leaves clung to his pants and how he was rubbing his hands, I guessed the same tree root that had tripped me had claimed another victim. "Hi," I said.

"I'm really sorry, about..." he gestured to the mess I was standing in.

"It's not your fault," I told him. "It's okay."

He shrugged. "I'm not really sure who to side with," he said, "you or Harry. I understand that he wanted to keep you safe, but at the same time... if it was Ginny, we both would have been out here in an instant. I think that might be one of the reasons he's such a git today, is because he knows you're right."

"I don't think you should take sides," I said. "I think we're already a side- we're out here fighting against You-Know-Who, we don't need any more subdivisions."

"You know what I mean," he said, a small smile on his lips. I tried to return the smile; though I was afraid it would just come out as a grimace. "Anyways, Harry sent me down here to get you. We're relocating."

I just blinked at him. Moving already? This felt like a personal thing. He was taking me away from here so I wouldn't be reminded of Adam anymore and I was not happy. "Why?"

"The Snatchers were just too close to us for comfort," he said. "Those men last night that attacked them, they're called Snatchers. Bounty hunters, I guess."

I took a deep breath. "I see," I said. That didn't make me feel any better. "Where are we going?"

He shrugged. "No idea. Wherever he wants, I guess."

I sighed. "It's always what he wants," I said.

"Yep," Ron said. "Welcome to my life."

We went up to the camp and helped to pack up. There wasn't really much to do, as Hermione and Harry had taken care of most of it already.

We apparated to a new clearing. I had no idea where it was, though I hadn't had much idea at the last place either. This time, we had to hike for a bit to find where we could set up our place. It was quiet, no one seemed to want to have a conversation, though Hermione turned and said something to Harry quietly every once and awhile.

After about an hour of climbing on the steep rocky hills, we found a place that was flat enough for us. Harry and Hermione started setting up charms to protect and conceal us.

That left Ron and I to set up the tent. There was such a divide in us right now, and I felt like that could be really dangerous. Though at the same time, I still didn't really want to talk to Harry. I just felt that we needed to stop splitting things up between Harry and Hermione and Ron and me.

We set up the tent quickly and I put on a pot of tea. Maybe if we all sat together for awhile it would be a little better. When Harry and Hermione came in from setting up charms, I had a pot of tea and four nearly fresh cookies waiting.

I looked at the three of them, and it seemed like no one wanted to talk. So I gave up and sat in the awkward silence.

Finally, Hermione stood up and broke the silence. "Kat, do you want to go see what kind of food we can find?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yes," I said. "Let's go."

It was good to get out of the tent. Hermione didn't say a lot at first, but it wasn't uncomfortable with her. We were trying to find water, I knew.

"I'm sorry about last night," she said.

"I know," I said.

"Even if you weren't with him anymore, I know that it must be killing you... not knowing," she said. "But... I don't think he is dead, Kat. I really have hope that somewhere out there... he is still alive."

"Why?" I asked. Harry had said that earlier, but I didn't really want to talk about it with him.

"I think he probably apparated away," she said. "It doesn't look like there was any killing in the camp, certainly. And the Snatchers left pretty quick, from what Harry says, and they wouldn't have if they were able to get people."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

She nodded. "I'm telling the truth," she said. "It was scary but I think it's going to be okay. Of course, I have no idea where he is, but... just don't lose hope, Kat. Hope, faith... they're really important right now. Sometimes you just have to suspend your beliefs and hope for the best. Right now is one of those times."

I nodded, unsure of what else I could possibly say.

"And I know that you're angry with Harry," she said. "And I'm not taking either of your side's... I just want you to try and put yourself in his shoes. He wanted to protect you. That was his priority. And really soon you two need to make up... We need to stay united."

"I know," I told her. "I just... I need a little time."

"That's understandable," she said.

We were quiet the rest of the way as we walked downhill far enough to find a small stream flowing. I sat on the bank, careful not to let my legs dangle in the water. It was too cold for that. "Accio fish," I said.

A few fish came flying towards me, and I was careful to catch them in my sweatshirt. In the end, I had five or six fish wiggling in my arms.

Hermione was laughing at me. I was sure that it was a funny site. "You're not going to help?" I asked, a little peeved. I knew that if I didn't have the locket around my neck, then it wouldn't have mattered at all. I would have been laughing so hard that tears streamed down my face at the funny sight of me with six fish in my arms.

"Oh!" she said. She took out her wand. "Petrificus Totalus!"

One of the fish stopped wriggling and I handed it to her. This was such an odd sight, I knew. A year ago, I never would have been okay with touching a fish, let alone knowing I was going to be hiking back up to the camp and cooking it for dinner.

Ten minutes later, all of the fish had been rendered immobile and wrapped up in my sweatshirt. She placed it in her bag and we started our trek up the hill. We made dinner and it was actually pretty good. Having full stomachs always improved our moods.

It had been about ten hours since I had taken the locket from Harry, which meant it was time for Ron to wear it. I handed it to him and he put it on. His stomach was mostly full, even he should be in an okay mood tonight.

I felt a lot better at the end of the day then I had when I woke up. I had some more hope that maybe Adam was still out there. But I was exhausted. All of the walking we had done today had exhausted me physically and the locket and everything that was going on had exhausted me mentally. So I was really glad that Hermione said I could take the third watch for the night and get some sleep first. I went to bed at a really early hour and didn't even care.

It was easy to fall asleep. I was fairly sure I had before my head even hit the pillow. However, I didn't stay asleep for very long.

There was some sort of commotion happening in the living room of the tent. I rolled over and got out of bed, really concerned.

"I'm leaving," Ron said.

"What?" I asked. I half wondered if this was a dream or not. It didn't seem real.

"I am leaving," Ron told me. "Would you like to come with me? I'm sick of it here. It isn't fair, he has no idea what we're doing, and I'm done."

I couldn't glance at them to see their faces, so I just nodded at Ron. The allure of leaving was _so_ great. Wherever we went, I could probably get a hot shower, and there was nothing I wanted more than a hot shower. I could track down my family and know they were safe. I wouldn't feel so alone.

In the room, though, I felt so much tension. Right now, I just wanted to get out of this tension.

"_Okay._"

**Author's Note: Another chapter! I know I'm going to get a negative response to this, but oh well. Can't wait to see what you're all going to say to it. Anyways, thanks a ton to potter-reading-coastie, for betaing this chapter. Let me know what you all think!**


	24. Chapter 24

I grabbed the bag I had yet to unpack from under my bunk. I was in such a haze, not clearly woken up, but I knew that I was close to going back to civilization and that felt_great._

I couldn't meet Harry and Hermione's eyes as I walked past them. I didn't even say goodbye because I couldn't. If I did, I probably wouldn't go and right now, I felt the need to get out of here.

I followed Ron out of the tent. It was dark, and I nearly stumbled over the rocks, but I followed him. It seemed we were going far away to apparate. I could hardly see the tent from where we were, though I knew that was probably what Ron wanted.

"Ready?" he asked.

I nodded. I looked back up the hill towards the tent. Out of the darkness, I could see the shadow of Harry standing in the doorway of the tent. His shoulders were slumped and he just looked so completely defeated. I pursed my lips. 

I hated knowing that I was the one who caused him to look that defeated. This wasn't fair to him. I did like Harry- I liked him a lot, in fact, and I was abandoning him when he needed me. It was time to snap out of this for sure.

I looked at Ron and then back to Harry.

Harry's words echoed in my mind...

_'I know this is hard Kat, but Dumbledore once told me something and I think you need to hear it. He told me, 'Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, that we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.'_

I was picking the easy way out... that was for sure. For the first time, I felt _terrible_. I was such a weak person. I needed to pick what is right this time. I told Harry a long time ago I was okay with being here and I needed to be good on my word.

"I'm sorry," I said to Ron. But it was too late, he already apparated away. I sighed now, feeling a bit like I was in no man's land. I would have to go apologize to Harry now.

I actually didn't mind that much. I hoped he would accept my apologies, and maybe things would be better between us. Right now, I needed things to be better. I would be a much stronger person that way. Surely, Harry would forgive me for the moment of weakness.

...Besides, I countered, Harry and Hermione would starve without me.

Harry's Point of View:

I watched them disappear into the darkness outside of the tent. It was really hard to watch them walk away. I glanced at Hermione to see her face dissolving into tears. She got up and went into her and Kat's- actually, now it was just her bedroom. I stood in the entrance of the tent, completely alone.

There was just enough light shining down from the moon that I could see they had stopped moving. Here was the big moment. Kat turned to look at me before she apparated. I had really hoped she wouldn't go through with it, I wanted to clear the air between us. My intense disappointment sort of reverberated throughout the doorway of the tent.

It was harder than I expected to be without them, even for just a few moments. I would miss Ron. We had been through so much together that I couldn't imagine doing anything without him. I hoped he would come back...

And Kat. I had put her through so much the past few months. Her leaving was justified... she had no idea what she was doing out here and I was terrible at being the leader she needed. She deserved to go find somewhere she could get a warm meal and a hot shower and a real bed. I felt bad about the Adam situation, and now I couldn't even properly apologize. It was easier to be sympathetic when my stomach was full and I didn't have the locket on. She had been right the whole time...

I shook my head, realizing I was staring into nothing. I was ready to turn when I saw something move out of the darkness. I immediately drew my wand, but only saw Kat coming out of the darkness.

I was_so_confused. I thought I had just seen her apparate away. She just looked sheepish and a little dirty, as though she had tripped on the way back up.

"Kat?" I asked quietly.

She nodded, stepping in to the tent sheepishly. "I couldn't go," she said. "It would be the easy thing... and you told me to make the right choice."

She had been listening when I told her what Dumbledore had told me. I didn't think she had, which made me smile a little. I nodded. "It's... it's all right, Kat. Come inside."

"I'm sorry, Harry," she said. "I really am. I haven't been good at this at all and I've got the wrong priorities and I'm just a mess and I'm sorry. I won't let it get in the way anymore."

"It's okay," I managed. She stepped forward to hug me and I accepted it, letting my arms fall around her waist. I let out a breath I was not aware I was holding. In reality, I was so happy that she was here.

"I'm sorry," she said. I could hear the tears in her voice and her grip on my shoulders got tighter.

She was going to cry. I_hated_crying girls. "It's really all right, Kat," I said.

She nodded. "I know. I'm sorry," she said. She pulled away and wiped her tears and she looked better. "Sorry, just a lot going on right now."

I moved to the couch and she sat down next to me. In the light, it was easy to see just how tired she was. I was sure I looked just as tired. It had been a crazy couple of days.

"I'll be better," she said. "I don't know how. But just tell me what I can do to be better and I'll do it."

"You're fine," I told her. "I promise. I'll be better at things too."

We sat there for a few moments in awkwardness before I said "I'm glad you came back, Kat."

She looked over to me, "Yeah?"

"Yes, I think I would have starved without you."

Suddenly, she was laughing and all the awkwardness was gone for a moment.

"You know, that was one of the reasons I came back."

I couldn't help but chuckle at that too.

She yawned and laid her head on the back of the couch.

I could see she was falling asleep next to me. "Go to sleep, Kat," I said, quietly.

She shook her head and opened her eyes wide. "I'm fine. And it's my watch. You go to sleep," she said.

I knew that there was no way she could manage to stay awake for the next four hours. I could make it, though. "I'll take it from you," I told her.

"That's fine, but I'm going to stay up with you," she said.

I didn't know if she was just trying to prove herself or something, but I didn't mind her company. I knew she wouldn't stay awake long anyways. After thinking I had lost her earlier, I was so glad to have her around.

"What made you change your mind?" I asked. "Really?"

She opened her drooping eyes. "I told you," she said. "I'm manning up."

I chuckled. "Sleep well, Kat," I said.

"I told you, I'm staying awake," she said. "I'm just resting my eyes."

"Right," I said. I watched as her eyes shut and her breathing got deep and slow. Her face while asleep was a lot calmer than when she was awake. Her brows weren't furrowed and her lips weren't pursed. Poor Kat. She had not deserved this.

I noticed her arms were covered in goose bumps, so I grabbed the afghan off the back of the couch and threw it across her. I must have woken her up, as she moved closer to me so that she rested her head on my shoulder. I put my arm around her.

It was nice to feel her warm body against mine. It was a comfort that went overlooked out here.

The warmth and relief and food and my stomach made me drowsy. But I had to stay awake. There were only a few more hours until the sun would be up. Hermione would be awake then, and maybe I could catch a few hours sleep. Tomorrow would be an interesting day. Without Ron here, there would be some reshuffling of the chores. Not that he did much, but our night watches would be longer. Wearing the locket would become an every day thing, instead of every other day. It was going to wear us down.

I sighed and tried to stay awake...

At some point, however, I must have let my guard down and fallen asleep. Two jabs to the shoulder pulled me out of my sleep.

I only jumped slightly, my hand going to my wand. Upon opening my eyes, I found Hermione standing over me, her arms crossed.

"I thought she left?" she asked, pointing towards Kat.

"She changed her mind," I told her. "She came back."

"Are you sure it's really Kat?" she asked, skeptical.

"Well, I have no reason to believe it isn't really Kat," I explained. "She never actually apparated away."

She sighed. "No sign of Ron?"

I just shook my head. She nodded her head curtly. "Well," she sighed. I could see that she was very upset about Ron by the way she had nothing to say. Her mouth was open like she was about to say something... but it got stuck between her brain and her mouth.

"I'll take the locket from you," I told her.

She gave it to me. Because I moved to accept it, Kat woke up. "Hmm," she said, blinking and rubbing at her eyes. "I fell asleep on you."

Kat's Point of View

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. I could tell I woke up during a tense moment. Hermione looked exhausted and agitated.

"Sorry," I said to Harry, rubbing his arm where I had rested my head. I wasn't really embarrassed about falling asleep there, but the way Hermione looked at me I could tell she was upset with me.

"You came back?" she asked me.

I nodded. "I never really left," I told her. "I just... I had a moment of weakness. I thought about a warm shower and a real meal and I was tired and I wanted that more than this. I only got down the hill before realizing I couldn't leave. I'm committed to this now."

"You let him leave?" she asked me.

I was a little surprised by the malice in her voice, especially because I noticed she wasn't wearing the locket any more.

"I..." I trailed off. It wasn't exactly something I could help. He was determined. "I'm sorry, Hermione."

"Maybe he will come back?" Harry asked. "We can stay here for a bit. He just needed to cool down."

"He isn't coming back and you know it," she said. I saw her eyes go glassy and I knew she was about to cry.

I stood up, wanting to give her a hug, but she turned around and went back into our room. She just needed her space, so I sat back down on the couch. I looked at Harry.

"She's happy you're here, I promise," he said.

I couldn't help but laugh at that. "Right," I said, shaking my head. "She sounds real happy."

"She's upset Ron is gone and you know it," he said, dismissing my sarcasm. "Can we make tea?"

I nodded and got to it.

~.~

Things were better for us as a group in the time after Ron left. Harry and I were getting on great. Hermione eventually came around and apologized, but she was still a little off. I was afraid she would storm out most nights. She was just so sad about Ron leaving and I didn't really know what to do about it. I knew that Harry was upset too, though he wouldn't admit it.

We stayed in the same spot for a long time. Judging by the dates in my journal as I wrote in it, it was going on a month that we were there. I tried to write in my journal every day, but it seemed that while we stayed in the same spot, there wasn't much to talk about. I still wanted to log it, though. Maybe if we ever got out of here, it would be a good read.

In that month, winter approached quickly. It went from needing a sweatshirt at night, to needing a sweatshirt at all times, to not wanting to go outside at all. Snow covered the ground. That made it harder to get food, but luckily I still had some saved up. I just wasn't sure how long it would last.

Harry and I ended up spending a lot more time together. We couldn't go outside and Hermione wasn't always very fun to talk to. I seriously enjoyed his company, though. He understood me well and I was glad our friendship had been salvaged after the Adam incident. While I still didn't agree with him on some things, we found a middle ground.

I was lying on the couch one night keeping watch while he fiddled with the radio next to me. He had taken an interest in the radio a lot recently, though I didn't understand it much.

Finally, through the crackling static, I heard a voice.

"_This__has__been__another__great__broadcast__of_Potterwatch._We__don't__know__when__it__will__be__possible__to__broadcast__again,__but__you__can__be__sure__we__will__be__back.__Keep__twiddling__those__dials:__the__next__password__will__be__'Wulfric'.__Keep__each__other__safe.__Keep__faith.__Good__night."_

I sat straight up and looked at Harry. That voice was very familiar. It was Adam.

**Author's Note: Wow, so many comments on the last chapter! Thank you all SO much, you have no idea how much I appreciate it. Can we have a repeat? I would wager you have a lot to say for this chapter as well! ^.^ Thanks to potter-reading-coastie, for betaing. Let me know what you think :)**


	25. Chapter 25

The noise faded away, back into the crackling static. I got off the couch and walked over to the radio.

"Was that...?" Harry asked.

I nodded. He was alive. Adam was alive. Stunned by this revelation, I couldn't help but sink to the floor. "Oh my God," I said.

"This is great," he said. "Right? It's great?"

He was alive. He was safe. He was running some sort of radio about Harry. I was_so_relieved that I didn't even really have words to express what I was feeling.

The anxiety that I had been carrying around inside for the past few weeks nearly disappeared. I found myself crying, though I wasn't sad. It was merely the relief that Adam was alive!

"Kat, don't- don't- it's okay," Harry said, looking concerned.

"It's _great_," I said, wiping at my tears. "I'm relieved. I'm so relieved."

"Oh," he said. "Well. That's great."

I nodded. Oh, I hoped wherever Adam was he was great. I hope he had food in his stomach and was happy. I wanted him to know I was thinking about him, but it wouldn't make any sense to him. This whole time, he had no idea that I had been tormented by thinking he was dead and it was my fault.

I was no longer in love with Adam. I knew that for sure. He had been such a huge part of my life the past few years though, that it was hard not to love him as a friend. That was part of the reason I wanted this to be over so badly. I needed to have him back in my life. I needed even more to be able to see Dad and Rob.

"So great," I said. I needed to pull myself together, but I found it hard to stop crying. I was just letting everything out that I had been holding in for so long.

He stood up and extended a hand to help me up. I hugged him tightly. "Thank you for finding that."

He smiled. "I've found it a few times before," he said. "That's the first time I've heard Adam on it."

"What is it?" I asked.

"Radio show for the resistance," he said, "death announcements, advice... that sort of thing."

"Who runs it?" I asked.

"They're meant to be anonymous," he said. "But Dean does it, Remus Lupin, a few of Ron's brothers..."

"That's really awesome," I said. "Have you heard anything?"

"I've heard lots of things," he said. "But nothing much that would mean anything to you. We were listening to it the night Ron left... I think that's what mostly set him off that night."

"What do you mean?" I asked, going to sit on the couch. Relief was tiring.

"Well that night after you went to sleep we listened to the radio show and we heard about Ginny getting into trouble at Hogwarts and he was upset."

"Is she okay?" I asked. I knew that he would be upset just like Ron was.

"Yeah, she's fine," he said. "Just seems like she, Neville, Luna and a few others may be trying to lead the resistance at school. They broke into Snape's office. Sounds like the punishments this year are a lot more severe than detention."

"Oh, my," I said. I wasn't sure what exactly to say to him. "I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "She's a strong girl; she's going to do what she wants."

I nodded. "I never really got to know her," I admitted.

"She's determined and strong and caring..." he sighed. He slumped into the couch next to me. "And I love her."

I smiled. "So it must be hard to be so far away?" I asked. I just wanted to hear him talk about her. I liked to hear it.

He shrugged. "Yeah, it certainly isn't fun... but I think the further away I am, the more I realize I am not in love with her. I want the best for her, but I'm not sure that is me."

I rubbed his shoulder. "I'm sorry," I told him.

"No reason to be," he assured me. "I should be sorry for tearing you and Adam apart."

"No," I said. "You didn't... we were already heading that way. It just becamereally easy to grow apart... but just because we're not together doesn't mean I don't love him... same thing with you and Ginny. I want the best for him. I really do. I don't really see us getting together after this is all over... I think that ship has sailed. He was a great first relationship but I'm ready for something else."

I held his gaze for a moment. It was a reaffirming gaze that told me we were both being genuine here.

Then he nodded and stood up. "Hearing that made me feel better."

I felt the same way, I couldn't help but smile as he walked away.

~.~

A few days later, we had a group meeting over dinner. Tonight's dinner was a can of chicken noodle soup that I had diluted with some melted snow. Food was getting low. We needed to move on from here, and soon. At this point, we knew Ron was not coming back.

"I want to go to Godric's Hollow," Harry said.

"Right now?" Hermione asked. I knew she would be hesitant to leave here... It would seal Ron's fate of having left us. Also, she had been coming down with a cold for the last few days. I had expected at least one of us to get sick already. We were all working so hard to compensate for there only being three of us. We each had to take the night shift and wear the locket every day. Combining lack of sleep with no good, nutritious food made us weak.

"Yeah," Harry said. "I would like to go tonight."

"Tonight?" I asked. "That's awful soon."

He shrugged. "We have time. It's better to move at night, too. So why don't we finish up dinner and go."

"I'm not sure that is the best idea," I told him. "Hermione is sick. Let her get another night's rest before we go."

"I am fine," she said. "I am not slowing us down. Finish up, Kat, and we can get ready."

I sighed. I didn't think she was ready, but it seemed like she didn't care. Or maybe she just didn't want to be the weak one. The soup burnt my insides as I slurped it down.

"Will you remind me why we're going to Godric's Hollow again?" I asked.

"It's the most likely place of Gryffindor's sword," Hermione said. "He was born there; it seems like a good place to look."

"Plus, according to Muriel Weasley, Bathilda Bagshot lives in Godric's Hollow and she may know where it is. She was close to Dumbledore; he may have given it to her. And I would like to talk to her."

"That's where you grew up, as well, right?" I asked.

Harry nodded. "Sort of. I haven't been back there since I was one. Anyways, I've got some Polyjuice Potion, and some hair," he said. "We will be all set."

We got to work, packing things up. We shoved everything in Hermione's bag and got on our thickest cloaks. While we had been packing and preparing for this trip, neither of us had really taken into account the need for winter clothing. Luckily, we had been able to use some of Ron's left behind clothing to keep warm.

It was snowing hard outside the cover of the tent. Big, wet flakes landed on our faces and in our hair. It was beautiful, but I did not want to stay out in it long. I grabbed Harry's arm to apparate.

We landed in a small village. I wasn't sure if it was Godric's Hollow, I had never been there or even seen pictures. It was quaint looking. I peeked in a window on the high street to find it was a Muggle home. This wasn't Godric's Hollow. A Christmas carol floated out the window and made me smile.

"Harry," I said, turning around. He had trudged through the snow to get a little ways down the street.

"Mmm?" he asked, without turning around. Hermione stayed close next to him, though she generally looked miserable.

"It's Christmas Eve," I told him.

"Oh," he said. "Is it?"

"Yeah," I replied. "I've been keeping track of the date in my journal."

He didn't say anything else, he just smiled. Drawing his wand from his pocket, he summoned a few hairs. That grossed me out just a bit, but I tried not to think about it too much.

Harry took out three small vials. It was the Polyjuice Potion. I recognized it immediately. I had not worked much with it before, but it was beautiful. "Kat, have you ever had Polyjuice Potion before?" he asked.

I shook my head. "I've read about it," I told him, "but never had a reason to use it."

"It's not going to be fun," he said. "But it won't be too unpleasant. You'll have a better first experience than Hermione."

If her cheeks weren't so read from the cold, I had a feeling Hermione would have blushed a deep color. I took the vial from him, and tipped it back.

Nothing happened immediately like I expected. It took a few moments, but I felt my body begin to rearrange itself. It was lucky I was wearing Ron's clothing, because I began to expand. My hair got shorter, and incredibly curly. My hips widened and I got shorter. I was now middle aged.

Aside from the general odd feeling of my body disappearing, it was a very different sensation. Skin did not quite feel like my brain told me skin was supposed to feel. I tried to shake the odd feeling.

I looked up that them. Harry had also become middle aged, just like I had. His hairline receded and he now had gray hair. Hermione hadn't gotten that much older than we were, but she was very short and blonde. Pretty, but indistinguishable. For a second, I just had to stop and respect magic. Seeing my friends' appearances change so rapidly before my eyes- It was really bizarre!

"Ready to go?" Hermione asked.

I nodded and took Harry's arm once more. This time, when I opened my eyes, I found us in a very quaint village. This one was magical for sure.

We walked down the High Street, though I wasn't sure what we were looking for. At the end, I saw big gates.

A cemetery.

I knew that was our destination immediately. Harry walked quickly, and I took his arm to keep up. Hermione stayed a step behind us. I was worried about her, hoping this didn't make her cold turn into the flu.

When we got in through the gates of the cemetery, Harry stopped. I followed his line of vision to find what he was looking at.

It was a statue, about ten feet above us. It was dedicated to Harry's parents, and featured them holding him. It was such a somber sight it took my breath away.

"Wow," was all I could manage, while my two companions were silent. I took out my wand to try and clear off the snow that had settled on top of them. Harry's parents were so beautiful.

"Wow," Harry repeated, a few minutes later. We just stood there and took in the sight.

"I wonder where their graves are," Hermione asked.

We each went out to three separate sections of the cemetery to look. I used my wand to clear snow off the tombs. I desperately looked for James and Lily Potter's names.

I had gotten through three rows when I found it. I should have known, it was a wonderfully tasteful stone.

_James Potter Lily Potter_

"_The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death."_

That was such a powerful statement. "I found it," I called out weakly. This whole experience was very awe inspiring... it was putting this all into perspective.

Harry appeared by my side a few minutes later. He knelt down at the grave, taking his glove off and feeling the letters with his fingertip.

It was such a private moment I felt awkward being there to witness it. Hermione came over to us too, and laid a wreath she had conjured down next to the grave.

It was a moment that I needed, though. I needed to see where Harry was coming from. This is what he was fighting for. His parents had been such strong people, giving up all they had for their son. They weren't that much older than us and they had given the ultimate sacrifice for him. And now it was his turn to use what he had been given to save everything.

It all made sense. I felt like the final puzzle piece was laid, and what we had to do cleared into the focus.

I took a deep breath and laid my hand on his shoulder. I just wanted him to know that I was there. Wherever we were off to next, I would be right there for him. We couldn't do this alone, but we would be stronger together.

**Author's Note: Woo! Another chapter. I've gotten some awesome feedback recently, and that's really made me happy! Keep it up, guys. Thanks to potter-reading-coastie for betaing this chapter :) This story has now surpassed Tonight with the number of people subscribed to it :) The only story that has more subscribers is You and I! I'm very pleased :) The first chapter of something new should be up soon, so subscribe to my profile to get the alert for that the moment it's out! Thanks! **


	26. Chapter 26

We waited in silence for a few minutes. I wondered what was going through Harry's mind as we stood in the silence of the cemetery. Wet snow hitting us was the only sound around.

Eventually, Hermione's teeth began to chatter. "Can we go somewhere warm?" she asked. I looked to her and saw that it was paining her to ask that, because she didn't want to pull Harry away from his parent's grave.

Harry nodded and stood up. We walked quietly back into the village. The first building we came across was a small church. I noticed a lot of smoke rising out of the chimney, and hoped we would be able to seek refuge from the cold in there. I prayed that the Christmas Eve vigil people had come and gone.

"Hominum revelio," Harry said quietly, waving his wand at the building. When no one showed up, he held the door for us.

Inside, the heat was turned up impossibly high. I assumed either the vicar was very old or my perception of warm was skewed by the cold. Hermione sat down in the first pew she got to.

"It's warm in here," I said to Harry. We took off our thick cloaks and placed them next to Hermione.

"We can't stay for long," he said. "Just long enough to get warm. We've got a lot to do tonight, plus we still need to find somewhere to sleep when we're done."

I nodded. "Lumos," I said, and my wand lit up. I decided to look at the stained glass windows while we waited. The beautiful bits of coordinated colored glass reminded me of Hogwarts. I wished I was at Hogwarts tonight. Christmas was always such a beautiful time there. I wanted the trees in the Great Hall, the fairly lights that were everywhere, the warm crackling fires in the Common Room, and the Christmas feast.

I went into the vestry and started to look for any food there might have been. I knew that stealing food from a church was a terrible thing, but I liked to think that if there was a God, he would be okay with what we were doing.

I heard a noise, and turned around, but it was just Harry. "Hey," I said.

"Find anything?" he asked quietly.

I shook my head. "Accio food," I said.

Nothing happened, so I decided it was fruitless. "That's unfortunate," Harry said.

"Well I hope you weren't waiting for a Christmas dinner to magically appear," I said.

He chuckled. "Never lose hope," he said. "I would really love it if one of Molly Weasley's Christmas dinners showed up right now."

I pursed my lips and wondered if Ron was enjoying one of those right about now. Probably. I was a little jealous. Harry sat down on the bench and I sat down next to him.

I rested my head on his shoulder as we sat there. The way his chest rose and fell was comforting, so I closed my eyes.

"Don't fall asleep, Kat," he said gently. Why wasn't he going to let me sleep? I saw nothing wrong with sleeping here for the time being. We could do whatever else we needed to do tomorrow.

"Please, Harry..." I said.

"Come on," he said. I felt his warm hand on my face and looked up.

Meeting eyes with him always intimidated me. I could see the determination in his eyes and knew that he was going to kiss me.

"I don't think here is the place," I told him, and turned my head away. A warm blush found it's way to my cheeks. Things weren't awkward, really, we both knew we shouldn't be doing this now. We needed to focus on doing what we had to do before we could get Hermione somewhere warm to get better.

He nodded. "You're right," he said.

When he offered me a hand up, I took it. Hermione was asleep, but I shook her to wake her up. It felt mean to wake her, but she did not complain. She was so dedicated to this cause that she just got up, wiped the sleep from her eyes, put on her cloak, and walked to the door.

Harry and I followed her. We walked down a small street and came to a really battered house. Although it was covered in snow, I could quickly tell that it had half of it missing. Vines had overtaken most of the front. The bushes in the front yard had grown up to cover the ground floor's windows. It was left in a very sad, very crumbly state.

This was the house that Harry and his parents lived in when they were killed and he was first attacked by Voldemort. Even being tired and cold, I couldn't believe it had taken me that long to figure out what I was looking at.

"The house has remained untouched as a monument to the Potters and as a reminder of the violence that tore apart their family," Hermione's voice carried over from where she stood, near the gate.

I walked closer the them, the snow crunching under my feet. The sign was covered in messages of hope and support for Harry. Looking to him, I couldn't tell exactly what sort of emotions he was feeling after reading the sign. His face did not reveal his emotions.

"Should we go closer?" I asked him, touching his arm.

"No," he said quietly, without taking his eyes off the sign. "We're good here..."

I nodded. We waited a moment, then heard the crunching of snow once more. But none of us were moving...

We all turned slowly, our hands moving to the wands that were stowed in our pockets. An old woman stood behind us, bent over severely.

"Come with me," she said quietly, beckoning us with one old, wrinkly finger. I looked towards Harry.

"Are you Bathilda?" he asked.

She nodded. He started to follow her, so Hermione and I did as well. This was who we were looking for. I had to hope that wherever she was taking us, it was somewhere warm.

We walked all the way down the street, to a rather secluded house. Something about this house made my stomach feel weird. My gut was telling me not to go in, but I didn't have it in me to fight with Harry. If he wanted to go in, we were going to go in.

As soon as we went in the door, I could smell a very strange smell. It was as if the house hadn't been cleaned in years, and all the food had been left to rot. My eyes were watering, it was so bad. The only redeeming quality the house had was that it was warmer than outside. Hermione started coughing and sputtering.

Bathilda beckoned us again, motioning up the stairs. When I started to follow her, though, she put up her hand. She only wanted Harry.

"You stay down here with Hermione, I'll be fine," he said, turning his back on me and going upstairs.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

She shrugged and wiped her nose on a handkerchief. "I'll be better when we get to stop for the night."

"I'm sorry," I said.

She shook her head. "It could have easily been you that was sick... or Harry. You just have to keep going."

"I don't like it here," I said, very quietly. "It doesn't sit right with me."

"I know what you mean," she said. "I mean, look at these picture frames. Half of the pictures are missing..."

I hadn't noticed it before, but now that she pointed it out to me, it was freaky. Most of the pictures in the frames were cut in half. The incomplete pictures were such an eery sight.

There was a huge thud upstairs, and Hermione and I both grabbed our wands. We ran up the stairs, to find a room even more disgusting than the one we had come from. "AGH!" Harry said. I turned the corner and saw that he was fending off a massive snake.

"Nagini!" Hermione yelled. She tried to stun the snake, but her reflexes weren't fast enough, it started going after her.

I grabbed a wooden chair and raised that. I knew that in the long run, it would not protect us much from this monstrous creature, but I didn't want to pick up my wand and accidentally hurt anyone or anything. My heart pounded in my chest. We had not come this far to get defeated by a snake, but it was so very scary.

"Stupefy!" Harry yelled, and the snake froze. We took advantage of the one second of peace and meet in the middle of the room.

"Where are we going?" Hermione screamed, her voice cracking in the middle.

I looked at Harry. "I know where to go," I said, "Let me lead, please."

He nodded, and I gathered all my energy to make sure we got to the right place without leaving body parts behind. That would be the hardest part, because I wasn't very experienced in aparating more than myself.

We landed just where I had hoped, at my family's summer home. We hadn't used it much in the recent years, because Vera was not fond of the beach, but I had fond memories staying in this house with Robert and my father when I was a young girl. It would be empty, and because it was winter time, no one would be in the surrounding houses. This was the perfect place to be right now. I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of it before.

"Where's my wand?" Harry asked, as soon as we landed.

"Let's get in the house first, at least," I said, opening the door. We walked into the open living room. My priority was getting Hermione into bed near a warm fire, and then figuring out what else we had to do tonight.

"Here," Hermione said, thrusting two pieces of wood at him.

His wand was completely broken. I saw the look on his face, of so, so much despair. "You broke my wand?" he asked.

"The curse ricchotched and hit your wand, I didn't do it on purpose. Maybe Kat can repair it," she said. She looked sorry, but I could tell she was so worn down, she didn't have the energy to fix it herself.

"I will, but come on, Hermione, I'll show you where you can sleep and set up a fire," I said.

"Leave me your wand," Harry said. I could tell he was pissed, but I didn't think it was very fair at the moment. I threw it at him.

Walking into my old bedroom was so bizarre. I had not been in here for probably ten years, yet here I was, lighting a fire in the fireplace and getting blankets out of the closet. I cringed when I realized that they probably weren't clean anymore, but they would keep her warm.

I went back downstairs and Harry was sulking in the living room. "Will you start a fire?" I asked him, considering he was the one of us who had a wand.

I rummaged through my bag and found a can of soup and a half gone bottle of wine. We deserved it, tonight, I thought. I lit the gas stove and began to warm up the soup.

Ten minutes later, I joined Harry on the couch with two glasses of wine and two bowls of chicken soup. He was still sulking, in the corner of the dusty couch. I tried to give him a disapproving look.

"You don't understand, Kat," he said. "His wand, and my wand... they had the same core. I'm not sure I can destroy him without that."

It took me a moment to place that the him he was talking about was Voldemort. "We'll figure something out, Harry, I promise. We haven't come this far to give it all up," I explained. I reached out to touch him, even though my hands were cold compared to his. "Now eat up before it's cold."

We ate in silence for a few minutes. The food was warm and filling. For once, we didn't have to split a can of soup three ways. It was the best soup I had ever tasted. He didn't speak, though. I knew he was upset and had a lot going on in his brain that he didn't want to talk about yet. That was all right. It would happen in time.

I sipped the wine after my soup was gone, and got closer to him for the warmth. Out the window, I could see more snow flying about. It was going to be a white Christmas, that was for sure.

"Is this the right place?" he asked, moving closer to me.

"Huh?" I asked, turning to him because I didn't understand what he was asking, but he was close enough to lean in and kiss me. I couldn't resist it here.

"Yes..." I said, when he pulled away. It would not stop at a simple kiss, underneath it all, I knew that. We both wanted, and perhaps needed, more than that tonight. There had been attraction brewing between us for months, and tonight, we would act on it.

I closed my eyes, but I could feel his lips form a smile against mine. A nervous feeling started to rise in my stomach. I had only ever been with Adam before...

"You're thinking too much," he said, pulling away for a breath. "Just let it happen, Kat."

He squeezed my shoulder, which I hadn't realized I had been tensing. "I'm sorry," I murmured. I felt his eyes on me, but it wasn't uncomfortable. He leaned in to kiss me again, and there was so much more passion there than there had been before.

I placed my legs on either sides of his hips, wanting to follow his instructions and not think so hard. His hands wrapped around my waist and pulled me closer to him. His hands wandered down my back and under my shirt and left a trail of goosebumps in their wake. I untucked his shirt and tried to unbutton it, but failed.

"Shh," he said. "It's okay."

He quickly unbuttoned my shirt, which had really belonged to him before it had become mine. I knew I would be self conscious as soon as he slipped it from my shoulder.

I could see that things were escalating quickly, and before my brain went completely foggy, I wanted to move. I didn't think it was very nice to do this in the living room for Hermione to find if she wandered down in the night.

"Let's go in the other room," I mumbled. It was on the other side of the hearth, so we wouldn't have to worry about being cold.

He picked me up, and I clung to him for my life. I didn't think he was really strong enough to carry me, though he managed it. He placed me down on the futon in the other room before using his wand to turn it into a bed.

While I waited for him to join me, I shrugged the shirt off. He was overdressed, and I could feel my cheeks go warm as I felt him looking at me. He shed his shirt before kneeling on top of me. His hands on my body felt like a static, like so much more than a simple touch. It was a little overwhelming, but very wonderful at the same time. It was exactly what we both needed.

His hands slid down my body, and he gripped my hips firmly. My brain was getting very foggy. I helped him unfasten my bra. "You're beautiful, Kat," he said. I tilted my head up to kiss him better.

My hand trailed down his chest and began to unbutton his trousers. He groaned as my hand brushed against him, and he wriggled out of his trousers, kicking them to the end of the bed. The next minute my pants followed it. I clung onto him, starting to feel uncomfortable. but he kissed my hair reassuringly.

I nodded as he removed my knickers and moaned again as he kissed her mouth so softly. His lips were soft, but I enjoyed the feeling of his stubble against my face.

"Are you sure?" he whispered against my lips.

I nodded.

And then he thrust into me. I dug my nails into his shoulders and let my head fell back. He dropped kisses on my neck. I moaned as he did. My hips moved to meet him and we formed a rhythm that worked for both of us. I could feel the pleasure building in me, threatening to push me over the edge.

And then it finally did. My breath heavy, I fell against him, clinging onto him as he slowed too, enjoying his own pleasure. And then we both collapsed together onto the bed, a tangle of legs and arms, both feeling hazy and exhausted. He brushed strands of hair out of my eyes, placing a kiss on my temple.

I was too sleepy to process everything, so I just rested my head on him and pulled the blanket around us tight. "Sweet dreams, Harry," I said, quietly, taking off his glasses.

I slept so deeply that I imagined this was what it felt like to be dead. It felt so good, like I was getting ten nights worth of sleep in the tent. I was warm, full of food, and felt so safe with Harry right next to me.

I woke up, sure that we had missed a day or two from sleeping. I started stretching my arm, and jumped. Harry and I were not alone in the room.

My father stood in the doorway.

End Part 1.

**Author's Note: **I'm pretty much just gonna leave it there. I won't touch this story for a bit... probably until Thanksgiving, at least. I've been working on it for month, I need to cleanse my palet. In the mean time, I would like to direct everyone to my new story, Unwritten, to read while Not Alone is on hiatus. It's short and sweet and the third chapter is going up soon! Let me know what you all think! Thanks to potter-reading-coastie for betaing!


	27. Chapter 27

I looked from my father to Harry, really not completely sure I was awake.

"I... will be outside," my father said. The door clicked shut and I laid back on the pillow. I didn't even know how to move.

"What am I going to do?" I asked. I was full of questions and shame this morning. Part of me couldn't believe I had slept with Harry at all, but that was not the issue at hand.

"Go out there and see what he has to say," Harry said, summoning his glasses which had somehow found their way to the floor. "We will deal with this from there. We are in his house; he deserves the respect of getting heard."

"I'm afraid he's not going to let me go with you," I admitted.

"We'll deal with that later," he said.

I nodded and got dressed. Right now my priority was dealing with my father, but I so nervous. All I had wanted for months was to see my family and make sure they were all right. Of course my father had picked the worst possible moment to show up.

I found him in the kitchen, making tea.

"Hi," I said, standing at the edge of the kitchen. I wasn't really sure how he was going to handle this. Would he be angry? That would be understandable. I had run away from home, put myself in terrible danger, and he had found me in his house, in bed with the boy I ran away with. But part of me knew that my father did not really like confrontation, and hoped he would just be happy to see me safe.

"Katherine," he said. "Tea?"

I nodded. I looked over at the mess we had left sitting around in the living room and waved my wand to clear it away.

"I'm not sure what to say," he admitted. "I'm disappointed, upset, angry beyond words... but mostly just happy that you are alive."

"I'm so sorry, Dad," I said. "I really am..."

"You should not have left like that, no matter what," he said. "You should have let me know where you were going."

"You wouldn't have let me go," I explained. "And I needed to go, Dad. Have you seen what's been going on at Hogwarts? Snape's in charge and it's practically a torture chamber."

"I know," he said, nodding.

"Even you are in hiding," I pointed out.

"Well, when one is married to a Muggle and one's daughter goes missing with someone trying to lead the revolution, that is what happens," he said. "Though the Ministry was getting to be a very scary place. The last few days there, I was always a little afraid I would not come back out."

"That was me," I said. "That day in the Ministry, when I was Morgan."

"Oh," he said, realization dawning upon him. "What were you doing at the Ministry? And Polyjuice Potion, Katherine? That stuff is seriously dangerous."

"Dad, I have been up to very dangerous things out here, I would hardly cite Polyjuice Potion as scary."

"I don't like that you're in danger," he told me.

"Dad, everyone's in danger," I reminded him. "Where's Vera? The girls?"

"Vera and the girls are in France," he said. "They're hiding there, and they'll be perfectly fine. They're staying on the edge of a small city out in the country, perfectly out of sight. No one should bother them."

"Robert?"

"As far as I know, still working as an Auror. He should be safe. I didn't tell him where you are or that I was leaving. I wanted to protect him and the only way I could do that was keep him uninformed. Being an Auror will keep him safe. Plus he's a Pureblood, he will be fine."

"How did you know where I was?" I asked.

"I asked Adam," he explained. "That was the first place I went. I expected him to have gone with you, but I guess I was wrong. He seemed quite bitter about the whole thing and said you were with Harry. And I guess he was right."

"I didn't tell him, he guessed," I told him. "And I don't want you to think I was unfaithful to Adam, because I wasn't."

He just nodded. "Is it just you two out here? Adam was under the impression you were with two others."

"Hermione Granger is upstairs," I said. "Ron Weasley was with us, but he left about a month ago."

"Oh," he said.

"Where are you staying?"

"I've been around," he said. "Not staying anywhere for too long, staying at Muggle places. I've been in and out of the country. Spent time in France... the magical community over there is staying out of the war completely; it's actually not a bad place to be."

"You've been safe?" I asked. "I've worried."

"I've been fine. No need to worry about me, you know I can take care of myself." he said. "Now, I would like to know where you have been, and what you have been doing?"

"It's complicated," I admitted. "And I'm not sure how much I can tell you..."

"I would like to know everything," he said.

"Dad, even I don't know everything," I explained. "It's too dangerous. I get to know most things right before they're useful."

"Why did you join them?" he asked.

"It's not like I would be any safer at Hogwarts," I pointed out. Hogwarts had become even more dangerous than being on the run, because you were locked up there. That was right where they wanted us.

"That's not what I'm getting at," he said. "I am just curious as to your motivations here."

"Well, I believe in the cause," I said. "Plus, these people are my friends, they needed my help, and I had no reason not to."

He nodded.

"How did you know I was here?" I asked.

"I've had a ward up around this place for years," he said. "You set it off when you arrived yesterday. To be honest, I hadn't thought about this place in years. It was really your mother's... place."

I nodded.

"She's been gone fifteen years this month," he said. "Seems like forever."

I did not know what to say to that, so I just let him stare off into space. The squeaking of the door knob caused me to turn around, and I saw Harry come out of the room we had been in last night. Being out here with my father had made me forget all about everything that had happened with him.

"Hi," he said.

"Dad, this is Harry," I said. It was the most bizarre of introductions, but that was what kind of day I was having. I was still so embarrassed at what had happened earlier.

Harry came up to us and shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you, sir," he said. "I'm sorry that we're meeting under such circumstances."

My father just shrugged. "I am sure I am supposed to be angry," he said, slowly. I couldn't remember the last time my father had been angry at me, though. "But to be honest it is just so wonderful to see Katherine is alive and safe that I'm unable to be angry."

"I'm sure it's as great for her as it is for you," he said. "She's been concerned for your safety."

"We've been concerned for everyone's safety," I explained. "As far as I am concerned, no one is safe right now."

"So we might as well be doing something about it," Harry said.

"What is it, exactly, that you are doing about it, though?" my father asked. "I would really like to know."

"I know that you would," Harry said. "And I'm sorry but I am unable to tell you."

"Unable to tell me?" he asked. "I guess I'm confused..."

"Happy Christmas!" I said, realizing what day it was. Christmas was a lovely day. I hoped my interjection would serve to diffuse some of the tension that was growing between us.

"Oh, it's Christmas?" Dad asked. "I had lost track of the days. Very good timing."

I exchanged a glance with Harry and he knew that I had managed to distract my father. He seemed calm enough for now, but I guessed that was because he was still in shock for finding me in the house. I wondered how long it would be until he decided I would be staying with him and not going with Harry.

"Christmas in a nice, warm house," I said, "with family."

"Sounds perfect to me," Harry said. "Have we got any food in your bag we can make, Kat? Anything special?"

"Nonsense," my father said. "There's a shop in the village. I used to have very good favor of the woman that owned it, and I know she lives upstairs. I will go get some food."

"Are you sure, Dad?" I asked.

"Yes, of course," he said. "I will go get my cloak and do that right now. The both of you look far too skinny."

As soon as he had gathered his money and left, I turned towards Harry. "I have no idea what to say."

He stood next to me, but the seat I was at was high so we were on the same level. "About...?"

"Anything," I admitted. "Is this some sick dream? Am I going to wake up and be in a cold tent, shivering my arse off and hungry and having no idea if my dad's safe?"

"This is real," he said, putting his arm around me. "The good and the bad."

"We need to talk," I said, resisting the embrace. "About... last night. And things."

"I agree... But I don't think right now is the right time. I think we should be thankful that your father has reacted so graciously to finding us, enjoy his company, and enjoy Christmas. We can't stay here long."

I knew that. Surely, we would be on our way soon. My father would soon react poorly to something, and we would flee. I knew that was how it would work. "I have a sleeping potion in my bag," I suggested. "A bit of that in his wine will allow us to get out of here if we need to. He's safe here, right?"

"As safe as anywhere else," he said.

I disliked that I had so immediately thought of a plan that would get my father out of the picture, but that was how I had to think now. I couldn't help but shake my head at how far I had come in the past year. A year ago, I was worried about my relationship with Adam as we were fighting. Now, here I was, having experienced loss and living on my own and the true extent of Voldemort's terror. I looked up at Harry and nodded.

"I have something for you," he said.

"Oh," I said. "I have presents for you and Hermione as well."

He went over to his rucksack and dug around a bit. I summoned my purse and got the two parcels. He ended up pulling out a journal. He handed it to me. "Merry Christmas, Kat," he said.

"It's a journal," I said.

"I figure yours must be nearly done, right?" he asked.

He was correct. The journal had served me very well for the past few months, but I had reached the last few pages. I figured I would have to stop chronicling our trip, but I guess I was wrong. Journaling had kept me sane through the craziness of this trip, and now I could continue. Harry was giving me a lot more than a journal.

"This is the perfect gift," I admitted. "You have no idea."

I felt a little ashamed. My present was nowhere near as nice as what he had given me. He pulled the brown paper off of it, and found the scarf I had made him. I didn't have much money or resources for this gift, but I did have yarn and I knew it would help keep him warm. There was an H on one end and a P on the other.

"This is lovely," he said. "Thank you."

We sat there in silence for a moment. We had so much on our minds but didn't know how to express it. Later, I guessed.

"I'm going to go wake up Hermione and catch her up on what's happened," he told me.

"I'm going to take a shower," I said, "because I can."

He smiled, and we went our separate ways. The luxury of a real shower had evaded me for five months; I planned on using every drop of hot water the pipes help. I would finally feel clean. This might be the best Christmas ever.

The hot water felt just as good as I had predicted. I turned it as high as it would go and sat under it for at least ten minutes. I didn't mind if my skin melted off when I was done, because I would be so clean. I only relented to shutting it off when the water started to get cold.

Upon getting dressed and leaving the bathroom, I found my father had returned, and Hermione was on the couch. She looked a lot better than she had last night, which was reassuring. If we had to run today, she would be okay.

Somehow, my father had managed to sweet talk the shop keeper into opening up and he returned with a roast, potatoes, carrots and bread, along with two bottles of wine. It was more food than we had seen in months. I helped him get it all into the oven, overwhelmed with happiness.

Four hours later, we sat down to our feast. I had never seen Harry eat so much food, but it was the best food I had ever eaten.

"I would like to know more," my father said. "I am reluctantly all right with the fact that my daughter is out here with you two, but I want to know more about what exactly it is you're doing."

I sighed. It had begun. We couldn't even finish our meal, and now I was going to have to leave. Walking away from my father and a warm house with showers would be really hard.

"I'm really sorry," Harry said. "I wish I could tell you. I really do. But it's secretive for a reason, and that reason is keeping as many people as possible safe."

"But Katherine knows," he said. "More of it than I know, at least. You're all right with endangering her?"

"That is different," Harry said.

"How?" he asked.

I poured the rest of the current wine bottle in Hermione's glass.

"Dad, would you like more wine?" I asked.

"Sure, Katherine," he said, distracted. "I just don't understand. You're all right with putting her in danger? What kind of man are you? Not the type I want to find in bed with my daughter, that's for sure..."

"Dad!" I said, unable to stop myself. I had gotten the wine out and tried to add some sleeping potion to the bottle nonchalantly. Hermione and Harry knew about my plan and wouldn't drink from it.

I refilled his glass, and we waited. Guilt was creeping in, but I knew this was for the best.

**Author's Note: OH HEY GUYS... hope everyone is still out there and doing okay! Life's been pretty hectic so I've been slow to get stuff out, but today I posted a chapter of this AND of Unwritten, which you should all go read. Thanks to potter-reading-coastie. Please let me know what you think :)**


	28. Chapter 28

He took a few sips of wine, and I knew that would be enough. It took less than a minute for him to slump over, asleep.

"I'm sorry you had to do that," Hermione said.

"Me too," I admitted, standing up. "Now we need to pack it up and get out of here. Or else it won't be so easy to get out of here."

"I'll go collect my things," Hermione said.

Harry went and gathered our stuff, putting it in my purse. I took some of the food and wrapped it up, knowing we could eat it. I made sure to leave a little for my father. I felt terrible that things had to happen like this, but there was nothing I could do. Then, because I figured I was already at my lowest morally, I decided to see if my father had any money in his bag.

He had a bag from Gringotts, clearly having taken a lot of money out of his bank account before fleeing. About half of it had been changed into Muggle money, so I took a few bills. He would have more than enough money, and maybe we could get a hotel room tonight. The thought of that made me smile. I did not want to go out into the wild yet.

I found Hermione had come back downstairs with her things, along with a few extra blankets. It had not taken us too long to pack up.

"Are we all set?" Harry asked.

"Can I leave a note?" I asked.

He nodded and summoned a piece of parchment for me.

Dear Dad,

I'm so sorry I had to do that to you. It was a simple sleeping potion, and I hope you wake up feeling well rested. I only meant to protect you, and I hope it has worked. You cannot get involved with us, it will end poorly.

I am sorry. I hope we meet again soon.

Love, Katherine

I set it under his wine glass so he would see it when he woke up.

"Are we ready?" Harry asked.

I nodded.

"Where will we go?" Hermione asked.

"I have enough money for a Muggle hotel," I said. "I... took some from my Dad."

Harry and Hermione exchanged glances, trying to decide if this was a good idea. The moment of silence was broken when Hermione sneezed.

"Let's go," he said.

Half an hour later, we had found a vacant room in a small inn nestled in a village in the middle of nowhere. We would not be disturbed here.

The room was poorly decorated, but would serve its purpose. There was a fireplace on one end of the room, where Harry was fiddling around. He wanted to light the fire even though it was plenty warm in the room already. Hermione lay on the big, four poster bed that dominated the room. I could tell she would not be awake much longer.

I was full and warm, which was a nice change. I did not allow myself the chance to dwell on my father, for I knew that would result in nothing but grief. My father had to understand my actions. I was doing the best I could to keep everyone I cared about safe.

I looked at Harry, sitting near the fireplace and trying to light the fire. His wand stuck out of his back pocket, though he was using Muggle methods to light the fire. The determined look on his face made me happy.

We still needed to talk, though. I was so confused over last night. I really liked Harry... but now surely wasn't the time for a relationship. Perhaps he didn't even really like me like that. We were so reliant on each other out here... perhaps it was a mere occasion of needs needing fulfillment and too much wine. But I wanted to know. It didn't seem right to talk while Hermione was asleep right near us.

"Want to go for a walk?" I asked.

He looked to Hermione, and then looked back to me. "I don't want to go that far from her... Want to just go in the hall?"

I nodded. He opened the door and I followed him down the hall to two chairs around an unlit fireplace. This inn was a bit odd, but it served its purpose. We had a little privacy, as there weren't any other people staying tonight.

"I'm not sure what to say," I admitted.

"Last night was great," he said.

"With a start like that, we are sure to get nowhere," I told him. I wasn't sure what I expected out of this, really. I was exhausted and didn't know really what I wanted.

"I'm sorry. I really like you, Kat," he said. "I think you've known that for awhile... I think we both have known for quite some time."

I nodded. We had not been very good at hiding it, ever. Looking back, it just made so much more sense. "But because we're out here..."

"I can't promise you anything," he said. "And that isn't fair to you. You deserve whatever you want."

"But what if I want this like you want this?" I asked, leaning forward. "

"Then that's great." he said, quietly. He was very quiet and taking a long time to respond. I could tell he was choosing his words carefully, which I appreciated. "But... Kat. You know the dangers of war. You've been out here long enough..."

"I know that you may not be around after the war," I said, saying the awful words before he got the chance to. "But the same could be said about me. Who knows what is going to happen tomorrow? No one knows. So I don't think you should let that get in the way of a little happiness and comfort out here. If anyone deserves it, it's us."

"I can't be a proper boyfriend, either," he said. He was chewing on his lip and looked troubled. I didn't like to trouble him like this. "You know this."

I nodded. "I do. I'm not expecting dates or anything like that. Let's just let it develop how it does. Let time take its course."

"You're going to be in quite a bit of danger, Kat," he said. "It isn't worth it."

"I'm in danger regardless, Harry," I reminded him. "Don't you think if I didn't like being in danger, I'd have left by now?"

That was a fair point and he knew it. Danger was everywhere right now. His argument was just not valid under these circumstances.

"Okay," he said. He was deep in thought and in a way, I appreciated that. He did care about me and it meant a lot that he was considering it so thoroughly. "Okay, Kat."

I leaned over and kissed him. "Thank you," I said, quietly. I ran my hands along his stubbly jaw and smiled. When I pulled away, I could see the smile on his face and that reassured me that what we were doing was right. He needed to smile more.

We walked back to our room, my hand in his. He seemed so distracted tonight and I wanted to know what was on his mind. But I wouldn't push too much tonight. Hermione would ask tomorrow, I knew it.

Hermione was zonked out on the bed. I didn't think I was all that far behind her. I started arranging pillows and blankets in front of the fire. Tonight I would enjoy being warm and comfortable as I slept. I wouldn't wake up shivering or hungry. I didn't know where we would be tomorrow night, so I appreciated this even more.

"Going to sleep?" I asked him.

"Not quite yet," he said. "But you sleep."

"Are you sure?" I asked. "We know we're safe. No one has to stand watch tonight. Why not take advantage of this?"

"Just not tired," he sighed.

"I have some sleeping potion," I explained, reaching for my bag.

"I know you do," he said. "You sleep. I'm going to do a little reading."

I got all cozy in my bed and started drifting off. "Good night, Harry," I mumbled.

"Merry Christmas," he said. "Sleep well."

I woke up a few hours later to find he had slumped over asleep in the chair with a book in his hands. Typical. He needed his sleep though. He could sleep sitting up any time in the tent. We were warm, safe, and it was time for him to get good rest.

I stood up and got behind him. Even in his sleep, his shoulders were tense. It only took a moment for him to snap awake, his hand searching for his wand.

"Oh, Kat," he sighed, but I knew his heart was racing.

"It's just me," I said, still rubbing his shoulders. Maybe he would feel better if we loosened up a little. "You should sleep on the floor. It's much more comfortable."

"You're right," he said. I could see his eyes drooping, he really was exhausted. He stood up and stretched and I wrapped my arms around him. It was nice to feel his body against mine. Touch was such a comforting force.

He went and brushed his teeth and I set up a pillow and a few blankets for him to sleep under. I got back under my blankets before they lost their warmth. Rolling over, I could hear the cracking noise of the bones in my back shifting. Sleep was not far from me. I heard him return from the bathroom and get ready for sleep. Five minutes later, I drifted off to sleep.

~.~

My first thought upon waking up was where was I, that I could possibly be warm and completely cozy and dry and quiet? There wasn't a pang of hunger in my stomach, like there had been the last few months. Harry's arm was around me. I settled into the embrace, a smile on my face. I could hear both Hermione's and Harry's soft snores and knew I was the only one awake.

Right here, right now, it was so easy to pretend. Pretend that we could be done with sleeping outside, in the cold. Pretend we had a normal relationship and he was just my boyfriend and I was just his girlfriend and nothing was scary or dangerous. That we could just be happy. I could pretend that less than twenty four hours ago, I had not drugged my father so that we could escape his questions. In this lovely pretend world, everything was perfect. I cozied in, shut my eyes, and enjoyed for a while.

The dusty clock that hung on the equally dusty mantle over the fire moved forward though, and I knew what the reality was. We had only a few short hours before we were back to pitching the tent in the least snowy woods in all of Britain. We would be cold, no longer have access to hot running water, and we would probably be cranky. But everything was perfect now.

My perfection was broken when Harry woke up. Although he tightened his grip on me and that was lovely, he would quickly motivate us to get out of there.

"Why don't you shower?" he asked about ten minutes later. "We've got to get going."

I did, saddened by the fact that it would be my last hot shower for the indefinite future. The coat of grime that just couldn't be washed away otherwise was gone though, so I guess that helped. After I had gotten dressed and made my way back into the bedroom, I was a lot more awake. He sat in the chair, pouring over a map of Great Britain. I knew he was trying to decide where to take us now.

"Back to the cold, snowy outdoors?" I asked. Hermione has woken up and was getting ready.

"Yes," he said. "I think we're going to go a little west. Any objections?"

Hermione looked over the map and saw the area he was pointing to. She nodded her head in approval. I warmed up some of the leftovers from yesterday's big meal while they finished getting everything ready to go. We ate the food in front of the fire before heading out. It was really hard to leave the inn, knowing what kind of accommodation was waiting for us after we left. I hoped we might be able to stay somewhere nice again soon. Or maybe this whole ordeal would be over and we could sleep inside... forever.

An hour later, we had trudged through an abandoned, cold forest searching for a good spot to put up a tent. Hermione and Harry were setting up while I made tea, because we were so cold.

The tent did present some familiarity. The last few days had been crazy. I couldn't believe that I had seen my father and that he had been in one piece. That was just bizarre to me. I was starting to feel pangs of guilt for having to leave him there. I hoped with all my heart that I would see him again soon, and he would forgive me. It was merely what was best for him... I hoped.

It also was strange that Harry and I were some sort of... together now. We hadn't talked about it, but there was some silent agreement that we wouldn't discuss it with Hermione. Not that we were hiding anything, really, it just didn't seem like a good idea. I knew she was still upset over Ron leaving. And I didn't want her to feel excluded or anything. I was sure she would find out eventually, but it wasn't anything that needed to be done right now. I looked up, over my cup of tea, at Harry.

He met my eyes and smiled, and I couldn't help but smile back. I had a feeling that things were going to be okay.

**Author's Note: I am so sorry! I totally thought I had published this ages ago! I never meant to go so long without updating! Ahhh! I am so sorry! At least I have the next two chapters all ready to go so you will get those very very soon! Thanks to potter-reading-coastie for betaing. Let me know what you think of the chapter. **


	29. Chapter 29

We fell back into the rhythm of camping. We each took a watch a night. We each took a turn with the locket. We drank a lot of tea to keep warm. We didn't speak much of Christmas or Godric's Hollow or the lack of hot showers in our lives. It was almost as if nothing had ever happened. Part of me hurt, but it was just easier this way I guessed.

I wondered how long we might be out here. It had already felt like such a long time. Over four months we had been at this search, and we hadn't made much progress. It was frustrating to have to put up with the locket and the hunger and the cold. But we did it, and no one complained.

The journal that Harry gave me for Christmas was such a great, thoughtful gift. I used it right away, talking about what we were up to. My first journal was in the pocket in my bag, so it wouldn't get lost. Maybe some day they would be valuable resources. Or at least, if we got out of here in one piece, it would be a fun read. I had not let myself dream much of what I would do when life was normal again, though it was hard to resist. I wanted a proper bed with a thick duvet, tabloids, and junk food. I imagined going on a proper date with Harry... somewhere nice where we could have a quiet dinner of delicious food and talk. I smiled thinking about how nice all of these things would be.

I realized it was pretty late, it must have been getting time for my watch. I got up, wrapped a sweatshirt around myself, and went to go relieve Harry from his shift. But he was not sitting on the couch like I expected him to be.

I was a little alarmed. Where had he gone? Had something happened? Hermione was still on the top bunk, I had heard her snoring as I left. I checked Harry's bed, but it was empty. My heart beat wildly in my chest... I didn't think anyone would be able to kidnap him. But maybe if he had fallen asleep? Who would have left us there, though?

At the edge of the tent, I saw footsteps in the snow. I squinted, looking into the dark night and seeing if Harry was anywhere outside. The foot prints went over the hill and out of site. But there was only one set of footprints out, so I wondered where the hell he could have gone?

I didn't know what to do. I could stay here and wait for him to come back. But what if he wasn't going to come back? Maybe he had given up. He had been wearing the locket tonight. The anxiety this caused me hurt my chest. He would not do that to us. I hated myself for even thinking that thought.

I grabbed my wand and followed the footsteps, as quietly as possible, though the snow was crunchy. I could hear noises beyond as far as I could see, and rushed towards them. They did not sound malevolent, but I was still afraid. Luckily, tonight, the moon was bright and full in the sky and gave enough light for me to see where I was going.

At the bottom of the hill, two figures came into view. I could tell that one of them was Harry and let out the breath I had been holding. He was alive and safe, it seemed. The other one... I couldn't tell. That made me nervous. I could see a shiny glint of metal on the other figure and kept my wand out, just in case.

They were walking toward me, though they did not yet see me. As they stepped out of the trees, I could see- Ron! How was he here?

I ran down the hill now, towards them, trying hard not to slip and fall. I wanted to yell to them but didn't know who or what else might be in the forest, so instead I flew down the hill.

"Kat!" Harry yelled, obviously less concerned than I was. I was pretty close to them now, and smacked into him. He was freezing and damp and not wearing a shirt.

"You idiot!" I said. "You just leave like that and don't think to even leave a note? How scary do you think it is to wake up and find not even a trace of you?"

He squeezed me tightly, kissing . "I'm sorry," he said. "But look who I found?"

I let go of Harry and hugged Ron. "I'm so happy to see you," I said. I was so happy to see his smiling face. He was also damp. What had they been up to? "I missed you."

"Good to see you too," he said, and in the moonlight I could see his grin.

"Can we go inside?" I asked. "It's so cold out here, I can't imagine how you two feel."

"It's freezing," Harry admitted.

"Well I'm not so sure I care about you, Mr. Goes-off-and-leaves-me-to-worry... but I do feel poorly for Ron here," I said, giddy from the cold and relief and Ron's presence.

"Oh, shush, you," Harry said, laughing and pulling me closer. it was so nice to see the smile on his face and the happiness in his eyes. He had his best friend back and was so happy about that.

"So..." Ron said. "You two are...?" He made a gesture

"Mmmhm," I said. As much as I had been afraid when I found he was missing, I still adored him. I looked up at him and couldn't help but smile.

"Well," Ron said. "Wow. That's fantastic... good for you two."

His grin was sincere and made me smile even more. Fifteen minutes ago, I had been more anxious than ever before. But it had ended so much better than I ever thought possible.

"Oh, Kat, look at this," Harry said, dangling the locket in front of me. I couldn't help but gasp when I noticed that the locket was mangled and destroyed. "Ron destroyed it. We don't have to suffer through wearing it anymore."

"Pinch me, I must be dreaming," I said, immense relief flooding me. Everything was so great. Ron was back, the locket was destroyed... I couldn't ask for much else. "How did you destroy it?"

Ron picked up a sword that must have been the shiny glint I'd seen earlier. "Sword of Gryffindor. Only shows up to a true Gryffindor when it's really needed... also pretty good for destroying Horcruxes, apparently."

"This is fantastic," I said. We were nearly at the tent now. I looked up, and standing in the openinig of the tent was Hermione. She had her hand on her hip and I could tell she was seething just by looking at her.

She left the tent and walked toward us, without saying a word. She stopped just before Ron. I thought maybe she was going to hug him, but instead she started punching him. I had not expected that from her.

"You- complete- arse- Ronald- Weasley!" she yelled. I looked on in shock, not sure if I should intervene or what. Harry had the same look of shock on his face.

"Ouch! Hermione! Get off!" Ron said, trying to duck. He backed away, using his hands to shield his face.

"You- crawl- back- here- after- weeks- and- weeks- and-" she reached for her wand.

"Expelliarmus!" I yelled, and her wand flew out of her hand. I picked it up off the ground.

"Kat!" she yelled."You give me back that wand!" She moved towards me, looking read to wrestle the wand.

"Protego!" Harry said, and Hermione was knocked backwards. I hoped that this would give her the minute she needed to calm down, take a deep breath, and just appreciate that we had Ron back. But she got right back up and still was angry.

"Give me back my wand, Kat!" she said.

"Calm down-" Harry said.

"I will not calm down," she yelled. I had been friends with Hermione for over a year now, and had never seen her this angry before. It was really absurd. She was normally so calm and collected. She must have hit her breaking point. "Don't you dare tell me what to do, Harry! Give it back now!"

Harry took the wand from my hand and put it in his pocket. I thought this would push her buttons but she just turned and directed her rage at Ron. "And YOU!" she yelled. "I ran after you! I begged you to stay!"

She appeared to be making the transition from enraged to very upset, and it was very sad.

"Hermione," Ron said. "I'm sorry, I'm really-"

"Oh, you're sorry?" she laughed. I could see the tears in her eyes. I had been too distracted by my friends to notice how absolutely frigid it was out here. Considering Ron and Harry were wet, I wanted to move this inside. I pulled Harry in with me, and Ron followed. This forced her to come in as well. "You think that's enough? You think you can just waltz back in here and all will be forgiven with a sorry?"

"What do you want me to say?" he asked. Harry scooted into the section of the tent where his bed was set up, looking for dry clothing. He never took his eyes off them though. I didn't know what to do- it was as if I was stuck there waiting, unable to do anything. I was almost glad Ron was fighting back, though.

"Rack your brains, Ron," Hermione said, backing up further into the tent. "I'll wait. Should only take a few seconds!"

I bit my lip. She was seriously pissed if she had gone that low. Ron was not that stupid. He had found us, after all.

"Hermione," Harry said, coming out into the main room again, and looking a bit upset himself. "That was unnecessary. Ron just saved my-"

"I don't care!" she screamed. Tears were streaming down her face. It was just an incredibly awkward and powerful moment. Would tonight be the end? We'd be split apart because of this? When Ron had left, it had not felt so monumental. But now... I gulped. "I don't care what he's done! He left us! We could have been dead for all he knew!"

"I knew you weren't dead!" Ron yelled. I moved behind him and put my hand on his shoulder to stop him from going anywhere. "Harry's all over the Prophet, all over the radio, they're looking for us everywhere. There are mental, mental rumors flying around everywhere. I would know if you were dead!"

Hermione just turned away from him, still crying angry tears.

"Look, Hermione," Ron said. "I wanted to come back the moment I'd gone. Kat had let go of me, and she had made the right choice. I Disapparated and walked straight into a gang of Snatchers and I was stuck."

"A gang of what?" Harry asked, taking Hermione's arm and sitting down on the couch. She sat down on the couch as well, but about as far from him as she could muster. She crossed her arms and legs ever so tightly.

"Snatches. They're everywhere. They go around rounding up Muggle-borns and blood traitors, to earn gold from the Ministry. I was alone and I'm school aged. They thought I might have been a rogue Muggle born and got really excited. I had to do some quick talking to get out of that one... told them I was Stan Shunpike."

"And they believed you?" Harry asked, laughing.

"Weren't the brightest," he said. "Definitely got some trolls in that lot... they way they smell, ugh..."

Hermione remained stony, looking far off. I wanted to give her a hug or something.

"Anyways, they didn't quite believe me. There were five of them and only one of me, plus they got my wand. Two of them started bickering, so I used that as an oppurtunity to get away. I splinched myself again." He held up his pinky finger... where there was supposed to be a fingernail, there was just flat skin. I grimaced.

"I came back as quickly as I could, but I couldn't find you."

"How gripping," Hermione said sarcastically. "So you, what, retreated back to Mummy? While we, oh let's see, we fought off hypothermia, the flu, nearly starved to death, oh, not to forget a You-Know-Who possessed snakes in Godric's Hollow... really puts it into perspective, huh?" She didn't wait for an answer to keep talking. "What I really want to know is how exactly you managed to find us, so I can fix that and we wont have any more unwanted guests."

"Hermione," I said, finally opening my mouth. "I think that's a little over the top..."

"I don't," she snorted.

"With this," Ron said. He pulled out something that looked like a cigarette lighter.

"The Deluminator?" Hermione asked. It was the first time since Ron showed up that her face did not look like it was made of stone.

"It doesn't just turn lights on and off," he explained. "I don't know how or why... but a few days ago... I was sitting in my bed, listening to the radio and wishing I was with you lot. All of a sudden, I heard you... I heard your voice, Hermione."

"Me?" she asked, looking less and less upset by the moment.

"Your voice," he said. "Was coming out of this. You said my name. Ron."

Hermione began blushing, and started looking at her shoes.

"So I took it out, and I clicked it. A blue light came out, just a little ball of light. It was pulsing. I gathered all my stuff, put it in my ruck sack, and off I went. The light led me out to the garden... and it just... went inside me. I know that sounds loony, but it did. I could feel it. It was hot, but once it was inside me, I knew what to do. It took me a few days... but it led me here. Your charms- they really work. I wouldn't have seen or heard you if Harry hadn't broken them..."

Harry helped Ron tell the story of how they destroyed the Horcrux. By the end of it, Hermione's anger had melted away almost completely.

"I guess I forgive you then," she said, quietly.

Ron smiled a small smile. "Thank you," he said, softly.

I glanced at the watch on Harry's wrist... it said it was nearly four in the morning.

"I took some food," Ron said. "Kat, I'm assuming that's still your domain?"

I nodded and he handed me his rucksack. There was freshly made bread, cookies and tea cakes, candy from Honeydukes, a bottle of firewhiskey... and four perfect bottles of Butterbeer.

"Oh, yeah, take those out now," he said. "We're all back together. We deserve a little celebration."

I smiled, and took it all into the kitchen area.

**Author's Note: I know, I'm terrible at updating, but at least this time I already have the next chapter written and betaed :) Thank you to potter-reading-coastie for his help. Hope that everyone is well- let me know what you think of the chapter!**


	30. Chapter 30

I returned with the bottles and a bottle opener. Ron opened them and handed them out, before raising his bottle for a toast. "Well, to Harry and Kat, I guess," he said. "Maybe one good thing will come out of this trip."

He clinked his bottle against all of ours. I couldn't help but smile at Harry.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, sitting forward. "Ron, what are you talking about?"

"You... didn't know?" he asked.

Hermione looked at me. "Is that...true?" she asked.

I nodded slowly. "Yes," I said.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked. I could see the hurt in her eyes and it hurt me. I kept it from her so it wouldn't hurt her.

"I..." I trailed off. It didn't make a lot of sense now.

"I asked her not to," Harry said. It was a fib, but it might help diffuse tension.

"I'm going to bed," she said, emotion heavy in her voice. She threw her bottle into the sink as she walked past, where it made a clinking noise as it hit the metal sink and shattered into a million pieces.

I looked at the boys, not sure what to do. Should I follow her? Give her space?

"I'm going to go talk to her," Harry said, getting up. That surprised me, I figured he would have just ignored it and let me deal with it. Perhaps it was a good thing to let him talk to her.

~.~

Harry's Point of View:

"Hermione?" I asked from outside the tapestry that separated where Kat and Hermione slept from the main room of the tent. I heard the creaking of the bunk bed, meaning she had climbed up into her bed.

"Good night!" she said. Her voice was a little watery, meaning she had been crying. I hated crying girls, but I didn't want for her to go to sleep upset. She had spent enough of today in a rage.

"I'm coming in," I warned her.

"Just go away," she told me. "I just want to be alone, okay?"

"No," I said. "I'm not going away until we talk."

"I'm not moving," she said.

"You don't have to," I informed her, sitting on the edge of Kat's bed below her. "We didn't do this to hurt you... please don't think about it like that."

"What am I supposed to think?" she asked, a hint of the malice in her voice. "My supposed best friends are in a relationship and don't think to tell me?"

"We didn't want to hurt you, Hermione," I explained. "We didn't want you to feel awkward or anything. We're in this together... all of us. We didn't want you to feel like a third wheel and start to resent us or being out here or make you feel alone... we just wanted to be happy with each other and didn't want to risk making you unhappy in the process. So don't be angry with Kat or with me... Please."

She was quiet, but I could hear her sniffling. I reached in my pocket and took out a handkerchief and handed it to her. It took her a minute to accept it. "Thank you," she said, quietly.

"I'm almost a little upset that Ron knew before you did..." I said, thinking that maybe I could make her smile. "I mean, for once, Ron was not the oblivious one."

She snorted, and I couldn't help but smile.

"It's just because he's spent the last month around other civilized humans and I've been with you two," she said, though she didn't sound quite so upset

"Are you calling us barbarians?" I asked, getting off the bed and looking at her. It was a playful move and I hope it came across as such.

"You know what I mean," she said, burying her head in her pillow and laughing. "I'm tired."

"Good night, Hermione."

~.~

Kat's Point of View

I slept well that night. Well, that morning, rather. By the time I washed the dishes and went to bed, the sun was starting to peak over the icy hills. Although the night had been exhausting, sleep evaded me. Every time I nearly got to sleep, I thought about how grateful I really was that we were all back together and smiled. Ron was back with us after being away for over a month and that was good... we needed Ron. Harry and Hermione needed their best friend. I would always feel a little left out of that trio, though I didn't mind. They had existed long before me. I was just happy it was whole again.

And now Hermione knew about Harry and me. I delighted in being able to say we were a couple. Although I felt bad at having lied to her, it was the right thing to do. Plus it seemed like she and Harry had a good conversation tonight, and that was good. Hermione had been incredibly upset today, but I hoped that when she woke up tomorrow she would feel like I did. She would be incredible happy we were all back together.

Eventually my giddiness gave in to the incredible exhaustion and I slept. I was awoken many hours later by the conversation going on outside my room. Hermione was no longer asleep above me, as I could hear her speaking with the boys. I just was not ready to wake up yet so I pulled the blankets over my head and tried to ignore the conversation.

As I lay there, waking up, I started to remember the dreams I had while I was asleep. I didn't usually remember my dreams, but tonight I could remember my mother being in one. I could never remember having a dream of her before. She had died when I was so young that I had no memories of her. The only memories I had were ones I had synthesized myself after my father had told me a few stories about us... I couldn't remember seeing her with my own eyes, just having seen pictures. How did I even know what her voice sounded like? I didn't. But the voice in my dream... I had immediately recognized it. The whole situation took my breath away a little, so I just laid there and tried to think of nothing at all. I wasn't very good at that.

About ten minutes later, I was fully awake and decided I would go out and join them now. There was some left over breakfast made by Harry, so I sat down next to him and ate that.

It sounded like I had walked in on the middle of a conversation. I just let them continue it without interrupting. It was times like these I felt I did not quite fit in. It didn't really matter, though. They would translate the important stuff later.

"What do you think?" Hermione asked, looking at me as if I had been listening the whole time.

"Well," I said, pulling tightly at the collar of the sweatshirt I was wearing. It suddenly felt awful tight. "I don't know, to be honest. I just let you guys figure this stuff out. Tell me where you need me and I'll be there."

"Then we need to go see Xenophilius Lovegood," Harry said.

"Luna's father?" I asked, confused. Luna was nice enough but I was confused why we would need to talk to her father when she was away at school.

"Yes," Hermione said. She got up and walked closer to where I was sitting and pulled out her book. "Have you ever seen this symbol before?"

She had opened the book and pointed to a symbol on the inside of the back cover. It looked like a triangle that was bisected at the top with a circle inside. I had never seen something like that before, so I shook my head. "Not that I can recall, why?"

"The symbol has showed up a few times throughout our travels," she explained. "It's in this book, which Dumbledore left me in his will. However, I think it merely supports that we need to go see Xenophilius. You see, when Ron's brother Bill got married last summer, Luna's dad showed up to the **?**funeral**?(wedding?)** in yellow robes with this symbol on it. It was on the grave of someone in the graveyard when we were there around Christmas. It's an important symbol for something and I feel like it's followed us... What should we do besides follow it? We've destroyed all the Horcruxes we have in our possession... now what? We can't just sit here like lame ducks until someone twiddles their thumbs correctly and destroys all the Horcruxes..."

"Well I agree with that," I said. "What would be the purpose of meeting with Luna's dad?"

"Well we know he was wearing the symbol at the wedding. Maybe he has a clue of what it means."

"Do you think he would expose us?" I asked. "What if he called up your parents, Ron?"

By the looks on their faces, I could tell they hadn't considered that before. It was moments like these where I felt I might actually be useful here.

"I doubt he will," Harry said. "He knows we are out here secretly. He knows that we are coming to him in confidence... he is on our side. I think it will be just fine."

"Well if you think it's just fine, let's go," I said. "Should I start packing up?"

"We'll go tomorrow," Harry said, after a moment of thought. That would be a good idea. Give us a day to rest and recuperate after an incredibly long night. Even though I had slept a lot, I still felt very off. It seemed like the final decision so we disbanded. I did the dishes. Ron and Hermione were in the living room. I looked over my shoulder, and saw Ron fiddling with the radio while Hermione read the book she had been holding earlier. I could hear the faint sound of snow falling on the canvas above me, and wondered where Harry had disappeared off to.

After all the dishes had been washed and dried, I sat down to take inventory of the food we had remaining with us. With Ron's return, we had acquired some food. I had some bacon he had stolen sitting outside on the snow. I would fry that up for dinner, and it would be amazing. Fresh bread, some canned vegetables, half a bottle of Firewhiskey, and various potions grabbed from wherever he had been staying. I would sort through those later. I had to admit I was a little impressed with the thoughtfulness he had expressed when remembering we would need stuff. Hermione needed to give him more credit.

Nothing but crackling seemed to come out of the radio Ron was playing with... until he hit a station. From the sounds of it, it was a Muggle station, but that did not matter. It was nice to listen to music and voices that were not us.

I spent about fifteen minutes identifying the potions Ron had brought us. I had not worked with potions in such a long time, it really felt right. Smelling the potions, seeing what color they turned when added to different substances... if I closed my eyes, it was nearly like being back in Slughorn's dungeons. Here, it was just a lot colder and with the added bonus of questionable Muggle music.

Harry came in about ten minutes later, poking me to get my attention. "Yes?" I asked, without turning around.

"Kat, look," he said.

I turned around to see him holding what appeared to be a branch. "What is this?" I asked him.

"Isn't your birthday... soon?" he asked. "I'm afraid I've lost track of what day it is. I just know it's soon."

I wasn't quite sure how this was connected to the pine branch in my hand. "Oh," I said. "Well yeah my birthday's a few days ago..."

"And since I gave you the one really awesome thing I could give you out here, I got the closest thing I could get to flowers," he said. "I hope that's okay."

I found it incredibly sweet, so I stood up and kissed him. "Thank you," I said, my arms encircling his waist and squeezing tight. I was pretty lucky. Even if I was all the way out here without any luxuries, I had a pretty good guy and that made me smile. We spent a few more minutes kissing in the corner of the kitchen. While we both wanted more than a quick snog, we both knew that was all we could get right now.

"Oy, you two," Ron called after a few minutes. He stood at the doorway to the kitchen area, not really caring.

I blushed and pulled away from Harry. "How may I help you Ron?" I asked.

"Too early for dinner?" he asked.

I glanced at the watch on Harry's arm, because it was wrapped around my shoulder. It was getting pretty late in the day... and it was already pretty dark because we were so far north. "Sure, go get the bacon," I said.

~.~

The next morning, we woke up pretty early and packed up camp. We were going to Xenophilius Lovegood's house, to talk to him about the triangle shaped symbol that Hermione had showed me yesterday. Then Harry found a place for us to go that was south of here, close to the coast, he said.. Maybe there would be less snow there. I could only hope.

Around ten in the morning, I helped Hermione put the last thing in her bag. We were all packed up. I took one last look at the clearing we were in, and then took a deep breath.

"You ready?" Harry asked.

"Sure," I replied, sticking my arm through his arm.

**Author's Note: …Hi guys. Sorry it's been so long… my beta, potter-reading-coastie, has gone MIA and he's the one that really keeps me motivated. But I've waited long enough and now it appears I shall trudge along alone. You guys are the reason I write and I needed to remember that :) I'll try and get a chapter up a week. You guys are welcome to PM me and keep me going :) If I have anyone left out there, of course. Thank you for all of your support. Let me know what you think.**


	31. An Update

Hello everyone.

So I realize I haven't updated this story in a really, really long time (I don't even want to go look, it's been that long) so I wanted to apologize to you all about that. I've gotten quite a few messages over the last few months and haven't responded to any of you… I am so, so sorry. The last few months of my life have been really crazy. It was my senior spring of high school, I had a 20 page paper due, family problems, and I worked a lot so that I can go to college in the fall. Also, as you know I no longer had a beta reader to nudge me (okay…. Body slam me) into writing for you all. In a way, I feel I have really failed you, as this community has always been so supportive of me. So that is why I will resume posting updates to Not Alone as of this week.

I need a few days to reread the story, go back through my messages with PRC to see where I was going with this, and respond to all your queries. I won't have a beta, so it will not be quite as polished as you're used to, but I figure it's better than abandoning you all.

Thank you all so very much, and look for an update within the week.

Emily.


	32. Chapter 31

The previous night, while Hermione had kept watch and Ron was asleep in the boy's section of the tent, Harry and I laid in my bunk and talked. He had propped one of my pillows against the headboard and leaned against that, and I had my head on his chest. I used my index finger to lazily trace circles onto the fabric covering his stomach.

"What is the symbol again?" I asked.

"It's a triangle with a line bisecting it and a circle inscribed within the triangle," he said. "Before we thought it was Grindelwald's mark- that's what Viktor Krum told us. However, Hermione is right. It's been popping up everywhere. In the book Dumbledore gave Hermione, on a gravestone in Godric's Hollow, Grindelwald, and Mr. Lovegood. I'm not sure this is the best idea, to be honest."

"You seemed in favor of it earlier," I reminded him.

"I feel like... we're trying to convince ourselves that Dumbledore left us signs and clues, but... I think he would have told me. Why would he let us wander like this?"

"I don't know," I said, leaning in a little closer. "I didn't know him very well. Or at all, really."

"I know," he said, running a hand through my hair. "I know. Sometimes I wonder if we would be so much better off if you had been in the know from the beginning. There's so much I haven't told you about what's going on and it's not fair to you..."

"I'm listening," I said.

"Not right now," he said, yawning. "It's just that sometimes I feel like you're the only one working here. You feed us the best possible food you can. There's always something hot and filling. You have enough potions to cure any ailment we might have for the next year-"

"Good god, I hope we're not still out here in a year," I said, and I saw him smile.

"... and if we came up with something you couldn't cure, I have no doubt you couldn't just whip something up. You never complain."

"You're being unfair to them," I told him. "We wouldn't even be here without Hermione. And Ron saved your life. They know everything. I'm just doing what I can with what I've been given."

"And I can't thank you enough," he said. "Without you, we'd all have starved to death long ago."

~.~

We apparated to a small village. Harry whispered in my eat that it was called Ottery St. Catchpole. All three of them looked out to the west.

"It's weird, being this near, but not going to visit," Ron said. I gathered that they were looking towards where his family lived. I couldn't exactly make out a house, but I could see a lot of apple trees.

"Well it's not like you haven't just seen them," Hermione said coolly.

"I wasn't at the Burrow!" Ron said. "I was at Shell Cottage, Bill and Fleur's place. I'm sure Fred and George would have been great about what I'd done. Not to mention Ginny..."

"She would have probably skinned you alive," Harry said.

"Probably." Ron said. He spent another moment looking towards his family's house before turning his back completely. "Let's walk this way for a bit."

We spent an hour or so walking through the fields. They were rather dead, but there was no snow on the ground. I could not complain. After an hour or so, we came to a cluster of low, rolling hills. If it had been sunnier and had any life on it, it would have been as picturesque as a postcard. After we got on the other side of the hill, we spotted the strangest house I had ever seen. It was black and circular shaped.

"That's got to be it," Ron said. He took off towards it, his long legs moving him swiftly. We had to run to keep up with him, and by the time we reached the gate in front of the house, I was clutching the stitch in my side.

THE QUIBBLER. EDITOR: X. LOVEGOOD.

PICK YOUR OWN MISTLETOE.

KEEP OFF THE DIRIGIBLE PLUMS.

Three signs were stuck on the door of the gate. They were all hand painted and hard to read. What was a Dirigible plum?

Ron wasted no time in opening the gate and moving towards the house. He knocked on the door, using a knocker shaped like an eagle.

"Harry, come up here," Hermione said. "You're the one that Mr. Lovegood wants to help, not us."

The door was flung open, and a man stood there. He was tall, barefoot and wearing a dirty nightshirt. He had the same white blonde hair that Luna did, so I had to assume this was her father. "What?" he cried out. "Who is it? What is it? What do you want?"

"Hello, Mr. Lovegood," Harry said. "It's Harry. Harry Potter."

His eyes shot straight to Harry's forehead and to the scar. "I..."

"Would it be okay if we came in?" Harry asked. "There's something we need to talk to you about."

"I... I do not think that's the best idea..." Xenophilius whispered. He looked out around the front yard. "My word... I'm afraid I really don't think I ought..."

"It won't take long," Harry said, a certain element of pleading in his voice. I looked to Hermione's

"Ah-All right then. Come in quickly!"

I had barely made it over the threshold before he slammed the door shut. In front of us was the most peculiar kitchen I had ever seen. I could not remember ever being in a perfectly round room before. All of the appliances and furniture fit into the curve, and it was all very brightly colored. To my eyes, it was bright and confusing.

It was also loud. There was a clattering and banging going on above us that shook the floor a bit. I was a little afraid of what could be making that noise.

"Up," Mr. Lovegood said gruffly. I followed Harry up a metal spiral stair case in the center of the room. As we went up, the noise only got louder and louder. The room was also incredibly messy, with papers and diagrams and models of creatures I had never before seen.

The source of the noise was an old, enchanted printing press that was printing copies of The Quibbler. Mr. Lovegood summoned a tablecloth and threw that over the press, but it did little to reduce the noise.

"Why are you here?"

"We need some help," Harry said.

"That's an Erumpant horn," Hermione said, pointing to a horn on the wall. At first glance I thought it was a unicorn horn.

"No, it's the horn of a Crumple Horned Snorkack," Xenophilius said, not missing a beat. "I bought it two weeks ago from a delightful young wizard who know of my interest in exquisite animals."

"Mr. Lovegood," Hermione said, panic on her face. "That's a Class B Tradeable Material and it's terribly dangerous to have in a house! It can explode at the slightest touch!"

"It is a horn from a Crumple Horned Snorkack," Mr. Lovegood said. "You say you need help, Mr. Potter? Help. Hmm. You see... helping Harry Potter... it's a rather dangerous gig."

"Wait," Ron said. "Aren't you the one who keeps telling everyone that their first priority should be helping Harry? Isn't that what you say in that magazine of yours?"

"I..." Xenophilius looked behind him at the printing press. "Well, yes, I suppose. however-"

"Oh, I get it," Ron said. "That's for everyone but you to do, eh?"

Guilt crossed the old man's face and he nodded. "Very well. I shall try to help you."

He went downstairs for just a moment, but I moved closer to Harry. I was very apprehensive about everything. Being in this creepy house with what was basically a bomb did not help settle my stomach.

"For heaven's sake, Ron, stay away from that horn," Hermione said.

I placed my hand on Harry's arm and we waited for Lovegood to return. He came upstairs, bearing a steaming tea pot and an assortment of tea cups. The scent wafting out of the pot stung my nose. I tried to breathe out of my mouth instead.

"May I offer you all and infusion of Gurdyroots? We make it ourselves." There was no way to say no, so I just nodded. After we were all settled in, Lovegood sat down as well.

"Now," he said. "How may I help you, Mr. Potter?"

"Well, it's about that symbol that you wore around your neck at Bill and Fleur's wedding. We were wondering what it meant."

"Do you mean the sign of the Deathly Hallows?" he asked.

"The Deathly Hallows?" I asked.

"Indeed. You haven't heard of them? I'm not surprised. Very few wizards believe in them. There is nothing Dark about them, as is usually associated with it. One simply uses the symbol to reveal oneself to others who believe."

"i'm not sure I understand," Harry said. He took a sip from the steaming mug and I watched him grimace. If I could help it I would not take a sip of the drink.

"Well you see, believer seek the Deathly Hallows," he explained.

"Which are... what, exactly?" Hermione asked.

"I assume that you are all familar with 'The Tale of the Three Brothers'?"

Everyone but Harry said yes.

"Well, Mr. Potter, the whole thing begins with 'The Tale of the Three Brothers'... I have a copy around here somewhere," he looked around the room, as if somewhere among the papers and junk the book would just pop out.

"I have a copy right here, Mr. Lovegood." Hermione said.

"Well then why don't you read it aloud? Much better way to make sure we all understand."

"Er... all right," Hermione said. She opened the book and began to read."There were once three brothers who were traveling along a lonely, winding road at twilight-"

"Mum always said it was midnight," Ron said, from his sprawl on the armchair next to me. Hermione shot him an annoyed look but he continued. "I just think ut's a bit spookier if it's midnight!"

"Because we really need more fear in our lives," Harry said, shutting the two of them up. Lovegood did not seem to be paying us any attention. "Go on Hermione."

"In time, the brothers reached a river too deep to wade through and too dangerous to swim across. However these brothers were learned in the magical arts, and so they simply waved their wands and made a bridge appear across the treacherous water. They were haldway across it when they found their path blocked by a hooded figure. And Death spoke to them-"

"Death spoke to them?" Harry interjected, confused.

"It's a fairy tale!" I reminded him. He nodded.

"And Death spoke to them. He was angry that he had been cheated out of three new victims, for travelers usually downed in the river. But Death was cunning. He pretended to congratulate the three brothers upon their magic, and said that each had earned a prize for having been clever enough to evade him. So the oldest brother, who was a combative man asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence: a wand that must always win duels for its owner, a wand worthy of a wizard who had conquireed Death! So Death crossed to an elder tree on the banks of the river, fashioned a wand from a branch that hung there, and gave it to the oldest brother. When the second brother, who was an arrogant man, decided that he wanted to humilate Death still further, and asked for the power to recall others from Death. So Death picked up a stone from the riverbank and gave it to the second brother, and told him that the stone would have the power to bring back the dead. And then Death asked the third and youngest brother what he would like. The youngest brother was the humblest and also the wisest of the brothers, and he did not trust Death. So he asked for something that would enable him to go forth from that place without being followed by Death. And Death, most unwillingly, handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility."

"Death has an Invisibility Cloak?" Harry asked, interrupting again.

"Yeah!" Ron said. "Sometimes he gets tired of running after them, shrieking and flapping his arms- sorry Hermione."

"Then Death stood aside and allowed the three brothers to continue on their way, and they did so, talking with wonder of the adventure they had had, and admiring Death's gifts. In due course the brothers separated, each for his own destination. The first brother traveled on for a week or more, reached a distant village, sought out a fellow with whom he had a quarrel and defeated him with the Elder Wand. That very night, another wizard crept upon the oldest brother as he lay, drunk, upon his bed. The thief took his wand and slit his throat for good measure. And so Death took the first brother for his own.

"Meanwhile, the second brother journeyed to his own home, where he lived alone. Here he took out the stone that had the power to recall the dead, turned it thrice in his hand, and to his delight the figure of the girl he had once hoped to marry, before her untimely death, appeared at once before him. Yes she was sad and cold, seperated from him as by a veil. Though she had returned to the mortal world, she did not truly belong there and suffered. Finally, the second brother, driven mad with hopeless longing, killed himself as to truly join her. And so Death took the second brother for his own.

"But though Death searched for the third brother for many years, he was never able to find him. It was only when he had attained a great age that the youngest brother finally took off the Cloak of Invisibility and gave it to his son. And then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and as equals, they departed this life."

We were all quiet for a moment or too before Lovegood seemed to realize we had stopped. "Well, there you are. Those are the Deathly Hallows."

He picked up a piece of parchment and a quill and drew it. "The Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and the Cloak of Invisibility" he drew a straight vertical line, a circle on the top of the line, and a triangle that encircled them both. "Together, The Deathly Hallows."

**Author's Note: If I still have any readers left, here is a new chapter for you :) Please let me know what you think. I do not have a beta right now, so any mistakes are my own. Thank you all so much for your support. **


	33. Chapter 32

"If the three objects, or Hallows, are unified, well, the possessor would be the master of Death," Lovegood explained.

Silence fell in the room. I glanced around the room to look for a clock, but instead settled on using the twilit sky as an indicator it was getting later.

"Do you mean... that you believe... these objects- these Hallows- actually exist?" Hermione asked.

"Of course!" Xenophilius Lovegood said. "Luna has told me about you. You are, not unintelligent, but very limited and close minded."

"So where do you think they are now?"

"Alas, who knows?" said Xenophilius, looking out the window. "There is a bloody trail of the Elder Wand splashed throughout the pages of Wizarding history, but it goes cold with Arcus and Livius. Who can say who took the wand? And who may have defeated them after? History does not tell us."

"Does the Peverell family have anything to do with the Deathly Hallows?"

"You have deceived me!" Xenophilius said, though I couldn't discern exactly what his tone was. I was beginning to feel uneasy here. "I thought you were new to the Hallows Quest. We believe that the Peverells have everything- everything! To do with the Hallows."

"Who...?"

"It was the name on a grave with the mark on it in Godric's Hollow," Hermione said. "Ignotus Peverell."

"Exactly!" Xenophilius said. He stood up and began to look a bit manic. "The sign of the Deathly Hallows on Ignotus' grave is conclusive proof that the three brothers in the story were actually the three Peverell brothers. Antioch, Cadmus, and Ignotus. They were the original owners of the Hallows!"

We were all quiet for a moment.

"Stay for dinner," Lovegood said. "I insist. Everyone always asks for our Freshwater Plimpy soup recipe."

He disappeared down the stairs. I looked to Harry and leaned in to whisper to him. "I have a funny feeling about this..."

He nodded.

"Harry," Hermione said, wearily "this is all a pile of utter rubbish. It can't be what the sign means. This was such a waste of time."

"This is the man who brought us Crumple Horned Snorkacks," Ron pointed out.

"You don't believe it either?" Harry asked. I hoped maybe he would make the decision to get us out of here.

"Nah. It's just a story you tell kids to teach them lessons. One of those superstitions, like 'May born witches will marry Muggles'" Ron said. "Mum's got tons of them."

From downstairs, a terrible and acrid scent wafted up. I nearly gagged. I really just wanted to get out of here. Harry stood up, and I did too. My uneasiness would only increase if he was out of my sight. He walked over to the stair case and looked up. His face looked back down at us.

"Is that a mirror?" I asked, a little confused.

He didn't say anything but I followed him upstairs. Ron and Hermione would be fine without us for a second. They were arguing about something anyways...

It was not a mirror, but a portrait. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville Longbottom's. We were standing in the middle of Luna's bedroom. As I looked at the portraits above us, it almost seemed like they were moving. They didn't have the same quality of life that the portraits at Hogwarts did, but they almost appeared to be breathing.

"Wow," Harry said. "Friends..."

I looked around the room, trying to see if it was as odd as the rest of the house. Next to the bed was a picture of Luna as a little girl with her mum. It was really a beautiful picture. We had that in common, Luna and me. We had both lost our Mums. I walked over to the picture to find that there was a thick coating of dust on the frame. That seemed rather... odd.

"Harry..." I said.

"Kat?"

"Shouldn't Luna have been home a few weeks ago for Christmas?" I asked.

"Yes..." he said.

"So why's her room so dusty?" I asked. "No one's been in here for months."

He looked around. There were no clothes in the wardrobe. Her pillow was dusty. This was a room that had been empty for a long time.

He grabbed my wrist to keep me close to him and we went downstairs. "Mr. Lovegood, where's Luna been?"

"Why at school... of course..." he said.

"Then why's her room look like no one's been in it for a year?" Harry asked."Where is she? And why do you keep looking out the window?"

"I..." Lovegood froze, dropping the plates on the tray he'd been carrying. I jumped as they all smashed to the floor, but Harry, Ron and Hermione all pulled their wands on him. I reached for mine, but my response time was just not as good as theirs'. Harry pushed me behind him.

Xenophilius reached to his pocket, but at the same time, the printing press made a loud BANG! and a copy of the paper flew out and hit Harry in the back. I picked it up and handed it to him.

"The Quibbler is going for a new angle, is it?" he asked. The magazine had a picture of his face on the front with the words "UNDESIRABLE NUMBER ONE" underneath. "Is that what you were doing earlier then, Mr. Lovegood? Sending an owl to the Ministry?"

"They took my Luna!" he whispered. "Because of what I've been writing! They took my Luna and I don't know where she is, or what they've done to her. But they might give her back to me if I- if I-"

"Hand over Harry?" I asked. As Mr. Lovegood had started to talk, I became really nervous. The Ministry was on their way. Xenophilius backed over to the staircase, blocking our exit. We had no way out.

"Get out of the way, we're leaving," Ron said, towering over the short man.

"They will be here at any moment. I must save Luna. I cannot lose her. You must not leave."

"Don't make us hurt you," Harry said. "Get out of the way!"

"HARRY!" Hermione screamed, as three cloaked figures flew by on broomsticks. As we all looked at them, Lovegood grabbed his wand and sent a Stunning Spell towards us. Harry knocked me out of the way and there was a huge explosion.

I felt like I was getting crushed by something but realized it was just Harry. The Erumpent Horn had exploded with the Stunning Spell. I couldn't breathe because of the dust in the air. There were so many loud noises- the sound of Hermione and Ron screaming, the crash of the printing press falling over, yet still somehow managing to make thuds as it spit out copies, and the sound of Xenophilius thudding down the stairs. I almost felt bad, but the old man kind of deserved it right now.

Harry got up and then stretched out a hand to help me up. I noticed that Hermione was up to, her finger pressed to her lip to silence us.

"Didn't I tell you there was no need to hurry? The nutter was just raving as usual!"

We all heard a loud thud and Xenophilius' scream. The hair on the back of my neck stood up and I clung to Harry.

"No... No! Upstairs... Potter!"

"I told you last week, Lovegood, we're not coming back for anything less than solid information!"

"No- No- I beg you! It really is Potter! Really!" Lovegood was sobbing.

"Homenum revelio," a voice said from the bottom of the stairs.

Hermione gasped next to me and I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. "There's someone up there all right, Selwyn,"

"It's Potter... I tell you it's Potter! Please... please give me Luna; just let me have my Luna!"

"You can have your little girl, Lovegood, if you go up those stairs and bring me down Harry Potter. But if this is some trick... we'll see if we can spare a bit of your daughter to bury."

"Come on, Harry," I said, as I could hear Lovegood coming up the stairs. I was afraid that this was it. We had spent all these months out here starving and cold and now we were going to get captured and killed. "We have to leave."

"All right," he said.

"Do you trust me?" Hermione asked us, quietly.

We all nodded, not wanting to make any more noise than necessary. She pulled Harry's cloak of Invisibility out of her bag and handed it to Ron. "Ron, you and Kat get under it."

"Us?" I asked. "Harry's the one we have to protect."

"Listen to her," Harry said to me. I bit my lip and did as I was told.

"Kat, you hold on to Ron. Ron you hold on to my shoulder. Harry, take my hand."

I wrapped my arm around Ron's waist, and he put the cloak over us. There was a rumbling, and it was the printing press vibrating. Lovegood was trying to use a Hover Charm on it to get it out of the way. Hermione paused for a second.

"Any second..." she said softly. "Any second..."

Lovegood's face appeared from the other side of the printing press.

"Obliviate!" she screamed, pointing her wand in his face. Then she pointed her want at the floor under us. "Deprimo!"

All I knew was that one second there was a floor under my feet, then the next second there wasn't and we were falling towards the floor. There was rubble everywhere and I couldn't help but scream. Just before we hit the floor, we twisted in midair and entered the darkness.

I thudded to the ground on the other side of the Disapparation. Harry was on one side of me and got up straight away, but I couldn't bring myself to it. The relief of having escaped was fantastic and exhausting at the same time.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked, reaching down to help me up. I help him tight when he pulled me up, even if we were both covered in dust and smelled like that gross tea. "I know. It was scary but it's okay."

I nodded. I hated looking like the weak link here- but I was. It sucked to be new to this idea of such complete danger.

Ron and Hermione were setting up the tent so Harry helped them. As soon as we got inside, I went and made tea and decided it was okay to bring out a package of the digestive cookies I had stolen from Dad. We ate and drank hungrily, trying to forget about what had just happened. (lol, think you meant deliscious.)

After I had set my cup down on the coffee table between us all, I rested my head on Harry's shoulder. My eyes were heavy and I wasn't really paying attention to what they were talking about. They wanted to hash out the details of the Deathly Hallows but I didn't know all the information so it was kind of useless anyways. I fell asleep on Harry, sleeping peacefully for a few hours.

When I woke up it was just the two of us out on the couch. He had been doing his watch and was letting me sleep on him.

"Hey, sleepy," he said, running his hand through my hair.

"Hi," I said. "I'm sorry I fell asleep."

"You didn't miss much," he told me. "They don't believe me, but I have two of the Deathly Hallows with me right now."

"What?" I asked, confused. I had just woken up and this did not make a lot of sense. Maybe I was still asleep.

"I have my dad's Invisibility Cloak, which is really Peverell's. And Dumbledore left me the Resurrection Stone in the Snitch he willed to me."

"Dumbledore had the Resurrection Stone?" I asked.

"Yeah. Well, it used to be a Horcrux so he got it when he destroyed it, but that doesn't matter. I have two of them."

I took a minute to rub sleep from my eyes before responding. "Wow," I said. "So where is the third one so you can go get it and win this whole shebang?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "But You Know Who is looking for it too. Of course he doesn't know exactly where or what it is, but he is looking for the most powerful wand in the whole world."

I nodded. "Okay," I said.

"You believe me?" he asked.

"Of course I do," I said. "You wouldn't lie to me."

"I knew I brought you for a reason," he said, smiling.

~.~

Some time passed. I still had occasional bad dreams about our close call at Lovegood's house, but never anything too bad. Nothing a cup of tea and a talk with Harry couldn't ameliorate.

Spring was coming. A few early flowers pushed their way up out of the cold, hard ground and looked beautiful among the forest. We made little progress by way of the Horcrux hunt, but we were in a good place with each other.

"Need help with the dishes?" Harry asked, one almost warm early spring evening.

"Sure," I said, moving over so he could help me dry them. Ron was in the living room playing with his radio, like always. I looked at him from the side and smiled. "You know, for Undesirable Number One, you're pretty desirable to me."

He looked up at me and grinned and my stomach might have flipped a little. I leaned in and kissed him and he pulled me very close.

"Oy! You two, quit snogging and come out here!" Ron said.

I blushed and Harry chuckled. "What if we don't want to?" Harry asked.

"Potterwatch is on!"

"All right, all right," Harry said. "C'mon."

We sat down around the radio and listened. He sat in one of the comfy armchairs, and I sat at his feet while his hands were on my shoulders. They seemed to really enjoy the radio show. It didn't mean quite as much to me, but I didn't care. It was nice to hear that there were other people out there suffering like us. I did not feel so alone.

"And now we would like to observe a moment of silence for those who have died. Today we are remembering especially Ted Tonks and Dirk Cresswell and Gornuk the Goblin."

They all looked very solemn for the moment. The only sound was the crackling of the radio.

"Well that concludes another edition of Potterwatch. The password next time will be Mad Eye. In the mean time... Keep each other safe: Keep faith. Good night."

"Damn Volde-"

I turned around to clamp my hand over Harry's mouth but it was too late. "...mort."

"Come out of there with your hands up! We know you're in there! You've got half a dozen wands pointing at you and we don't care who we curse!"

**Author's Note: HERE IS A CHAPTER. Thank you, potter-reading-coastie for betaing. **


	34. Chapter 33

"Fuck!"

So many things happened at once that it was altogether a bit of a blur. Ron pulled the Deluminator out of his pocket and Hermione shot a spell at Harry. It was too dark to see and quiet and all I could hear was my heart beating incredibly loudly.

Hands encircled me, but I didn't know where they were coming from. They thrust into my pockets and took away my wand, and I couldn't help but make a noise at how rough they were as they dragged me out of the tent.

"Be quiet, girl," a rough, male voice said in my ear. I remained still on the ground, hoping that we would be okay. My heart beat so hard in my chest I could feel it in my ears. I couldn't see how we would be able to get out of here, but I was confident in them. If anyone could get us out of here, it was Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

In the darkness I could make out Ron and Hermione across from me. I could see them dragging Harry out of the tent and setting him down roughly behind me.

"What happened to you, ugly?" a voice asked.

Harry didn't answer, and I heard him get kicked in the stomach. It was a terrible sound. "Leave him alone!" I screamed.

The man got closer to me and I felt a finger trail down my bare shoulder. "I do so love a screamer," he said, then fastened my hands together. I could hear Harry sigh angrily next to me.

I almost threw up. I wanted to run but I knew that it would only put me in a worse position. Plus I could not leave them. I didn't dare to think about what might happen tonight, but no matter what, I would remain loyal to my friends.

"Don't worry about your girlfriend; I'll take plenty good care of her." He threw Harry on the ground; face first, next to me. "I said, what happened to you?"

"I've been stung." Harry said.

"I'd say so," he said. "You done in there?"

A few more Snatchers came out of the tent and stared at us. I could feel tears running down my face but tried to remain emotionally unattached. This was all too much for me. I had always told Harry I was prepared for the danger that I knew accompanied him out here. But now that I was actually facing it, it was a lot scarier. Who knew what would happen out here? Would I still be alive this time tomorrow? What would happen to us from here? Would Harry get killed? Would they rape me? Or Hermione?

"You lot look about 'ogwarts age..."

"We left," Ron said.

"Left, 'ave you? And you decided to go camping? And, just for a laugh, decided you'd use the Dark Lord's name?"

"It was an accident..." he said.

"Who we got here?" a gloating voice snarled. "What's your name?"

"Dudley," Harry said. "Vernon Dudley."

"Check the list, Scabior," the second voice said. The one who was interested in me was named Scabior. I didn't know the second voice but he was large and I had a feeling he was not completely human.

"What about you, ginger?"

"Stan Shunpike," he said.

"Like 'ell you are," Scabior said. "We know Stan Shunpike, he's put a bit of work out way."

I heard the awful sound of Ron getting kicked. "I'd Bardy... Bardy Weadley" I could hear that his mouth was full of blood. This wasn't fair. We had been out here for months and this was how it was all going to end. We didn't even have the dignity to fight it out.

"A Weasley?" rasped the second voice. "So you're not a Mudblood but a blood traitor. And lastly, your beautiful little friends..."

"The one on the left's mine," Scabior said. He was referring to me and it just made the tears come down harder. I pulled my knees up to my chest and just laid my head on them. I was so afraid.

"Easy," the second voice said. "Who are you?" he asked, kicking in Hermione's direction.

"Penelope Clearwater," Hermione said. I tried to hear what sort of emotions she had in her voice but she sounded pretty neutral. I wondered how she wasn't as

"Blood status?"

"Half blood."

"Easy enough to check," he said. "And you?"

"There's no Vernon Dudley on 'ere, Greyback," Scabior said. So the other man was Greyback, and I had been right. He was a werewolf. Immediately I looked up and saw the moon was a waning crescent. We did not have to worry... much.

"Very interesting," Greyback said. They turned their attention away from me, which was good because I did not know what to say. I didn't know who I should be.

"So you aren't wanted then, Vernon? Or are you on that list under a different name? What House were you in?"

"Slytherin," Harry said automatically.

Scabior let out a very small, sarcastic laugh. "Funny how they all think we want to 'ear that... but none of 'em can tell us where the common room is."

"In the dungeons," Harry said. "You enter through the wall and it's full of skulls and stuff and under the lake... so the light it all green."

There was a bit of a stunned silence. Even though I was sitting, I couldn't breathe very well and was starting to feel a little dizzy...

"Hey- Look at this Scabior!"

A dark figure came bustling toward them and I saw a glint of silver. They had found the sword.

"Ve-e-ry nice," Scabior said. Every time I heard his voice my skin began to crawl. I was so afraid of him. I hated being vulnerable like this."Looks goblin made... Where did you get something like this?"

"'ang on a minute! Look at this! The Prophet!"

Next to me I felt Harry twist away and gasp in pain. Who was hurting him? I couldn't see.

"'ermione Granger, the Mudblood who is known to be traveling with 'arry Potter!"

"You know what, little girly? This picture looks a hell of a lot like you."

I definitely couldn't breathe. We had been found out, completely. Now we were definitely going to die.

"It isn't!" Hermione said, losing her previous calmness. "It's not me, I swear!"

"Known to be traveling with Harry Potter," Greyback repeated.

A silence fell over the group and I could hear Hermione trembling. She was just as afraid as I was.

"Well, this changes things, doesn't it?" Greyback whispered. He crouched down near Harry and looked at his forehead. "What's that on your forehead, Vernon?"

"Don't touch it!" Harry yelled.

"I thought you wore glasses, Potter?" Greyback breathed.

"I found some in the tent! Wait-" one of the Snatchers grabbed the glasses and shoved them on Harry's face.

"We've caught Potter!" Scabior laughed. "I'll definitely get my prize now!"

I knew he meant me and my stomach dropped. Everything about this day was terrible. Tears began to stream down my face again, and I couldn't stop it. If this was my last day, I would be so disappointed.

They threw us together and tied us up with two prisoners they had already acquired. Ron and Hermione seemed to know one of them and they were talking, but I wasn't paying attention. I was able to block everything out.

Harry's and my backs were facing each other. I rested my head on his shoulder, trying to seek a little comfort from him. I knew as soon as they got us wherever we were going, they would separate us and he would be killed. But for now I could feel his chest rise and fall. He was alive and so close.

"I love you," I whispered quietly.

I wasn't sure if he didn't hear me or if he was in too much pain- from a source I was not sure of, to respond. I knew our captors were talking but I zoned them out, not caring. I wasn't going to spend this time listening to them.

They gathered us and Disapparated us. I kept my head on Harry's shoulder but closed my eyes. Defeat flooded into my body. There was no way to get out of this and we were going to die. Voldemort would win. If my Dad was still alive he would probably find out what had happened to me and he would be disappointed. But that was okay, I tried to convince myself. I had remained loyal to my friends.

We fell on the ground on the other side of the Apparition and it hurt. I started shaking in fear. Harry was making weird noises, like he was possessed. I was worried, but knew I would probably see him killed before me in a few minutes. That I moved my head and locked eyes with Ron. The look in his eyes did not make me feel any better. He was scared.

It was almost funny, the situation. We had survived so much together, yet it had taken so little to destroy us. I wished I had some sort of poison on me, as I was completely helpless. I did not like hat I was no longer in any control. Seeing the true fear in Ron's eyes made me realize how truly dire our situation was.

"How do we get in, Greyback?" Scabior asked, shaking the gate.

An originless voice commanded "State your purpose!"

"We've got Potter! We've captured Harry Potter!"

I wanted to be sick. Scabior took me by the hair and dragged me up, which dragged the people I was linked to up. He pulled us along, towards the big house I knew belonged to the Malfoy's.

"What is this?" a cold voice asked.

"We're here to see He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!" Greyback rasped.

"Who are you?"

"You know me! Fenrir Greyback! We've caught Potter!"

I felt us shift around as they made Harry face the door.

"I know 'e's swollen, ma'am, but it's 'im!" Scabior said. "If you look right there, you'll see 'is scar. And this 'ere, see this girl? The Mudblood who's been traveling around with 'im, ma'am. No doubt it's 'im, we've got 'is wand too! 'Ere-"

"Bring them in," she said. "My son Draco is home for Easter holidays. If that is truly Potter, he will know."

We were dragged along a cold, stone corridor, though Scabior never took his hand off me. We were brought into an exceptionally bright and cold room. It was sort of like being in a hospital. I looked up and saw a huge crystal chandelier, but looked away because it hurt my eyes.

"What is this?" a low drawl asked. I felt Harry tense up behind me, and he was quiet. It was as if it was the first time he noticed we were here.

"They say they have Potter. Draco, come here."

Draco Malfoy seemed exceptionally tall and looming as he stood over us and stared. Scabior turned us so Harry faced Draco.

"Well?"

"I can't be sure..." Draco said. I did not blame him for not recognizing Harry right away. His face was distorted, for one thing. I was sure we all looked different from when we had started. Harry's hair was twice as long as he usually kept it, even though I had cut it at some point. He was unshaven. I hadn't cut my hair in almost a year, and it was in a scraggly braid. Ron needed a shave, and Hermione's hair was even crazier than usual. We were in rough shape, only shadows of our former selves.

"Look closely! Come closer!" Draco's father said. He sounded so excited and it made shivers run up my spine. I tried to focus on taking deep breaths, but it wasn't very easy.

"I don't know," Draco said after a long while. He turned away from us all and walked toward the fireplace, where his mother stood.

"We must be certain, Lucius. If we call him here for nothing… Remember what he did to—"

"What about the girls then, eh?" Greyback growled from behind me.

"Yes- yes, that's the Mudblood we saw in Madam Malkin's with Potter that time! Isn't that right, Draco? It's Granger!"

"I… maybe… yeah…."

A door creaked open, and someone else walked in to the room. "What is this? What has happened, Cissy?"

Everyone was silent as Bellatrix Lestrange observed what was going on. She walked around us slowly."But surely, this is the Mudblood girl? This is Granger!"

"Yes, yes it is!" Lucius cried. "And beside her, we think Potter! Potter and his friends are captured at last!"

"Potter?" she shrieked. "Are you sure? We must inform the Dark Lord at once!"

Hermione was next to me, and I tried to catch her eye. She didn't seem to want to look at me.

"I beg your pardon, Mr. Malfoy," Greyback interjected, "but it's us that caught Potter, and it's us that will be claiming the reward—"

"Gold!" Bellatrix barked. "Take your gold, filthy scavenger. What do I want with gold? I want only honor."

"I was also hoping for…" he gestured to me.

"Who is that?" she asked, walking towards me. When no one answered her question, she kicked me. "Who are you, girl?"

"Katherine Hammond," I said quietly, a little winded from being kicked.

"Daughter of the Blood Traitor ministry official?"

I just nodded while staring at the ground.

"We'll see about that, Greyback. The Dark Lord is rather against the spilling of pure blood. Perhaps you could have the Mudblood, though."

He protested, but I was feeling too sick to my stomach to listen.

"Where did you find my sword?" Bellatrix screamed to one of the Snatchers who had captured us.

"It was in their tent!" they replied. I heard her Stupefy them, and take back the sword.

"Snape sent it to my vault in Gringotts…" she said, sounding very distressed."If this is indeed Potter, he must not be harmed. The Dark Lord wishes to dispose of Potter himself… the prisoners must be placed in the cellar, while I think what to do!"

"But, Bella, this is not your house to give orders in—"

"You have no idea of the danger we are in!" she shrieked.

"Take them to the cellar, Greyback. All except… except for the Mudblood."

"Take me! You can have me!" Ron shouted from my other side. He was silenced by a low to the face from Bellatrix. I just kept my eyes shut and my head down.

"If she dies under questioning, I'll take you next. Blood traitor isn't that far up from Mudblood, at least as far as I'm concerned. Take them downstairs, Greyback, and make sure they are secure. Do nothing more with them yet."

Bellatrix cut Hermione from the rest of us, and dragged her away by her hair. Then, Greyback dragged us towards the cellar door, never letting go of me. I craned my next to get a last glance of my best friend, but Ron's head was in the way. I clenched my jaw and turned away.

Getting down the stairs while still tied to Ron and Harry was definitely a feat. There was darkness everywhere, and we didn't know what was at the bottom of the staircase. I could feel Ron shaking next to me.

When we reached the bottom, there was a thick wooden door. Greyback tapped on it with his wand, then it unlocked. He used the same knife that Bellatrix had used on Hermione to cut me away from Ron and Harry.

"You're coming with me."

**Author's Note: Sorry for the long pause, everyone! Just adjusting to college life :) Thanks to potter-reading-coastie for betaing this. I will update sooner! Promise!**


	35. Chapter 34

I could do nothing to resist, and I knew it would only make things worse. Panic was starting to set in again, and I couldn't figure out a way around it. My legs were wobbling and I couldn't stand up straight. My hands, though tied behind my back, were shaking too. It was too dark to see, but my eyes filled with tears anyways.

"Shh…" he said. "Girl, you be quiet now, or you will regret it."

I tried to hold my breath in and not make any noise. He dragged me down the dark and dirty corridor, into another room of the basement. As he shut the door, I heard Hermione scream upstairs. That sound just made everything worse. She was in so much pain. We were both going to die tonight, and our deaths would not even be productive. Harry and Ron would die as well. All of our work had been useless. I squeezed my eyes shut.

Then it dawned on me. If I could hear Hermione, the people upstairs could hear me. Maybe, just maybe, if I screamed loud enough, they would stop this. I would much rather die from being tortured by the Cruciatus Curse than by whatever the werewolf was going to do to me. "HELP!" I managed to scream, before he clamped his hand on my mouth.

"We're going to do this the hard way?" he asked, his voice full of anger.

I found myself pushed against the wall, and then a few of the buttons popped off my shirt. Well, technically it was Harry's shirt, but that didn't matter much now. I wondered if there was any possible way that he could get out of here alive. I didn't think so. Greyback pushed my shirt aside so expose my shoulder. He cupped my breast in his hand, and then leaned in to sink his teeth into my shoulder. I screamed again, with everything I had in me. He ripped a part of my shirt off and stuffed it in my mouth to gag me.

"Shut up you whore!" He was touching me and it felt so wrong and I hated it. I couldn't even try and fight him, because my hands were bound behind my back. Instead, all I could try and do was squirm away. I had to wonder if this was helping my case or hurting it. He was going to get what he wanted either way. "Soft… young… flesh… so delicious."

I felt bile rise to my throat at how disgusting this all was. The door opened and Wormtail stood at the door. "What is going on in here?" he asked.

Greyback's fist collided with my face and I heard the crunch of my nose breaking. "Augh!" I cried, leaning on the wall to stop my head from spinning. I felt blood running out of my nose but couldn't do anything about it because my hands were still tied behind my back.

"She was… resisting."

"Did the Dark Lord grant you your reward yet?" he asked, looking incredibly intimidating. Wormtail's bony little hand wrapped around my shoulder and he pulled me along. "Bellatrix wishes to see you upstairs."

I was dragged toward the room that I knew Ron and Harry were in. Wormtail tapped his wand against the door and then opened it. Inside, a pale light shown. He cocked his head at the lights, and the next thing I knew, Wormtail was being attacked by Ron and Harry. I was still seeing stars, so I just shut my eyes and tried to lean my head back. I knew blood was getting everywhere. After a minute, Wormtail was still.

"What happened, Kat?" Ron asked, kneeling in front of me to get a better look at me. I just looked down. I noticed his hands were no longer bound.

"Can you help me get free?" I asked, wiggling my arms to show him what I meant.

"Yeah, of course. I'll go get the nail. Harry…" we both looked up at Harry, who was looking at me. Ron mumbled something and went to get the nail.

I couldn't meet Harry's eyes, so I just looked at his shoes. "I'm sorry…" I said, though I wasn't sure what I was apologizing for. We didn't need to say anything… the thick air between us was enough. I had thought I would never see him again.

"Found it!" Ron said, returning with a nail. "Harry, help her up!"

He did, and Ron used the nail to cut through the rope around my hands. Once my hands were free, I brought them straight to my face. I had too much adrenaline to feel much pain, but felt a moment of panic when I felt how broken my nose was.

"Let's go… shh… you'll be okay, Kat," Ron said, and I followed him and Harry up the staircase leading to the drawing room. At the top of the passage, the door was ever so slightly ajar

"And now, we call the Dark Lord!" Bellatrix's voice echoed triumphantly. This was it. "And I think we can dispose of the Mudblood. Scabior, take her if you would like her."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Ron yelled, barging into the drawing room. "Expelliarmus!" he disarmed Bellatrix and chaos erupted in the room. Harry sent Greyback into the hearth. Before I could really grab a hold of my bearings, I felt someone grab me from behind.

"STOP OR THEY DIE!" Lucius Malfoy shouted from right behind me. Then I felt it: a silver knife was being pressed against my throat. Across the room, Bellatrix held Hermione in the same position. Slowly, they dragged us toward each other until we met in the middle of the room. "Drop your wands."

Harry appeared from behind the couch, Ron a few feet over. They remained clutching their wands. "Drop them or we will see exactly how filthy her blood is." Bellatrix sneered, and I could tell she was pressing the blade against Hermione's throat. Lucius held the blade just off my own neck, just close enough that I knew it was there. I knew if he chose to act, I would be dead within minutes. I just hoped this would be a better death than at Greyback's hand… if a 'better' death existed.

"All right!" Ron hollered, and put his wand on the ground by his feet. Harry did the same.

"Draco, pick them up. The Dark Lord is coming, Harry Potter! Your death approaches!"

I started to see spots… hazy dark blobs moved across my vision. I just shut my eyes to try and make them stop. "Cissy," Bellatrix said softly. "I think we ought to tie these little heroes back up, while the girls are taken care of—"

There was a grinding noise above us. I opened my eyes just in time to see the giant crystal chandelier above us dangling. The little pieces of glass made a high pitched clanking as they trembled. Although we all knew what was about to happen, no one moved. Suddenly, it was falling towards us and hit, breaking into a thousand million pieces. I was brought to the ground by the fall, but managed to get away from Lucius. Ron grabbed a hold of my arm and dragged me out of the rubble.

I felt like I was on fire. Every part of me felt like it had been hit with shards of glass, and they burned. It was too much for me to handle and I thought I was going to collapse.

"Dobby!" Draco's mother shouted. "You! You dropped the chandelier-?"

I turned around, and through my hazy vision saw a small house elf. "You must not hurt Harry Potter!" he yelled. "Dobby has come to save Harry Potter and his friends!"

"C'mon, Kat, get to him and we can try and Disaparate." Ron said in my ear, giving me a gentle shove forward. He carried Hermione with the rest of his force. I moved towards the elf.

"Ron-" Harry yelled. "Catch, and GO!"

Ron caught his wand, then we all grabbed onto Dobby. I shut my eyes again and just hoped I wouldn't splinch. I had no clue where we were going, but it seemed like anywhere would be better than where we were.

We landed on the ground, and I was pretty sure I had maintained the correct amount of limbs. It was hard to tell, because I was in so much pain. My nose still bled and the sky above me was spinning. I had no clue where we were. A face came into view, but before I could figure out who it was, everything went black.

~.~

I blinked a few times before everything came into focus. I had no clue where I was. I also had a feeling I was pretty medicated by the way the room sort of danced around me.

"Oh, you are awake," a small feminine voice said. The woman who belonged to that voice came into view and was impossibly pretty. I had to look away. "How are you feeling?"

"Where am I?" I asked.

"Shell Cottage." She said. "I am Fleur Weasley, Ron's sister in law. You are safe."

It took a few minutes for that to register with me. You are safe. I wondered who else was safe.

As I woke up, I started to gain more awareness of my surrounding. I looked to be in a small attic room. My head was pounding, so I reached up to touch my face. My nose was still broken and was crooked, but blood was not pouring out of it anymore. All over my body were small sharp pains, as though I had been hit by razors. From my left shoulder, a deep ache spread through my body. I was a mess.

"Where is everyone?" I asked.

"They all survived. They are about to have a small ceremony for the house elf."

I vaguely could recall the small house elf that had saved all of our lives. "Do I have to go?"

"No," she said. "Of course not. I could run you a bath."

I nodded. "Please?"

"Of course."

"Thank you, Fleur." She said. She disappeared, and I was left to ponder things once more. I was still in complete disbelief that we had all managed to get out of there alive. I thought that I was going to die in that terrible house. Instead I had just been maimed. I wondered how Hermione was doing. There was a second bed in the room I was in and I could tell it had been laid in recently. She must have been in the room with me.

"Your bath is running," Fleur said, coming back into the room. "It's just down this flight of stairs, I will show you. In the mean time, I am going out to join them. I will be back soon."

"Thank you," I said again. I looked to the table next to my bed and saw a pile of potion bottles. Blood Replenishing potion and a few potions for pain. They would help me feel better soon.

I hoisted myself off the mattress and moved down the stairs despite the ache. I found the bathroom exactly where she had said it was, and there was a beautiful tub in the center of the room. There was also a window. I stood on my tiptoes so I could see outside, and saw everyone else. We were near the ocean, I could tell, and they were standing on the edge of some cliffs nearby. I did not want to join them though. I didn't really want to see anyone right now.

Also in the bathroom was a full length mirror. I did not want to see how I looked, but it was impossible not to see my reflection. I started to cry when I saw how terrible I looked. My hair was matted and uneven. My nose twisted to the left, and a black eye was still forming over my right eye. I twisted around to see the bite in my shoulder. It was all sorts of dark purple colors, and I cringed. How would I explain that to anyone? I was way thinner than I thought could be healthy, and my skin tone seemed to be off somehow. I looked disgusting. I was not even the same person physically as I was when I had begun this psychotic scavenger hunt.

I slid into the tub, first cringing at the hot water hitting my skin. After a moment, I started to enjoy it as it relaxed my very tense muscles. Hot water had become such a luxury, and I was enjoying every drop that filled the tub.

After a little while, I heard noises below me as they began to come inside after the funeral. I was a little sad that Dobby had died. We would not have been here if he had not saved us. I would have been dead by Lucius Malfoy's blade or worse long ago. But part of me, deep inside was happy that it was not Ron or Hermione that had perished so we could escape.

I stayed in the bath as long as I could. I did not want to face anyone, but eventually the water got too cold to stay in. I found clothing that Fleur had lain out for me and got dressed in that, before going out and facing people.

**Author's Note: I'll be updating more often, I promise! College kept me crazy busy. Thanks potter-reading-coastie for betaing. Happy Holidays, everyone!**


	36. Chapter 35

I went back upstairs to my room and managed to avoid everyone. I found a healing salve in the potions beside my bed and started to apply that to all of the cuts and slices on my body. It stung at first but started to feel better quickly. Then, I lied down on the bed. I was purely exhausted, but my mind was racing in a thousand directions. I couldn't tell what to focus on. If I tried to focus on not focusing on anything, it was overwhelming.

Eventually, I fell asleep and slept for a very long time. I woke up a few times to toss and turn, but fell back into a slumber. I wasn't sure if it was the exhaustion or medicine or just the fact that I didn't have to worry about being woken up by intruders or Death Eaters. Eventually, I woke back up, but lay in bed. I was disoriented and couldn't find a clock. The sky outside was the reddish colors of either early morning or late in the day. The bed next to me was still empty.

There was a light knock on the door. "Who is it?" I asked, sitting up. The room danced around in front of my eyes. I shut my eyes and rubbed my forehead. I must have had a lot of medicine in my system.

"Bill."

"Come in." I managed. When I was able to open my eyes, I saw that Ron's brother was standing in the doorway. "Hi."

"Fleur said you got bit," he said. "I wanted to check on the bite, if that's okay."

I nodded and shrugged my shirt back. All of the muscles in my back protested as I did. I wasn't too keen on being touched by anyone, but I bit my lip and waited.

"I got bit," he said, "last year, when the Death Eaters attacked Hogwarts."

"I didn't know that," I said. I had been a bit preoccupied at the time. Dad had been withdrawing me from Hogwarts. I was more concerned about not leaving my friends and Adam, not what had happened to everyone.

"At first... I was terrified. I wasn't yet married to Fleur, but I was sure that would drive her away. I was afraid it would ruin any job I ever wanted. I thought I wouldn't be able to have kids. I thought it would ruin my life."

"She married you," I said.

"She did," he said. "She's amazing. But that's another story. It hasn't impacted my life as greatly as I thought it would. The wounds are cursed... but they've healed. It really hasn't changed much. I am still me, just with a new found desire for much rarer steaks. You will be okay, Kat."

"Thank you," I nodded. He looked at my back.

"It's not that bad... the bruise is worse than the bite. I can't imagine the pain you are in right now."

I didn't know what to say. I was in a lot of pain, inside and out. "Yeah."

"So I will make sure Fleur gives you plenty of pain potion." he said. "Once it heals, you will feel better. I think it won't plague you too much."

"Thank you."

"Well, Fleur is just about to put dinner on the table. Let's go down so we can eat," he said, smiling.

Finally, it was unavoidable. I would have to face everyone. I was hungry, though. "Okay."

"One... last thing," Bill said slowly. "Ron told me what else Greyback tried to do to you... if you need someone to talk to-"

"I'm fine," I said, trying to make myself sound firm and like I meant it. I did mean it. I did not want to talk about this at all.

"Alright."

~.~

Everyone had already sat down for dinner, and of course the only seat open was next to Harry. I sat down, and he did not even look at me. I just sighed, and reached for the food. Everything looked and smelled so good, that I was suddenly starving.

"Can I have the butter, please?" I asked him, quietly. I didn't want to make a fuss or anything; I just wanted to be invisible. Which I guess to him, I was, as he didn't do anything.

Everyone seemed preoccupied with their own conversations. Hermione was talking to Luna Lovegood, Bill and Fleur were in their own little conversation on the far side of the table. I tugged on his sleeve. "Butter."

He reached for it and placed it in front of me without looking at me. These simple actions just made me feel a host of new emotions. I felt disgusting. I was not a good person. I wanted to disappear and stop plaguing these people with my presence. All of these feelings made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Suddenly, I wasn't so hungry.

I picked around at my food until everyone else was done with their meals, then excused myself. I needed some fresh air. I headed out into the garden to get away from people. I couldn't take the looks, dripping with pity. I found a nice place to sit and just took a couple deep breaths full of fresh air. Ahhh.

"Mind if I join you?" I jumped, but it was only Ron. I patted the ground next to me.

"It's been a long day," I said, quietly. I just stared ahead of me. I didn't want to see if there was any pity in Ron's eyes. He seemed to be mostly unscathed, at least physically.

"It was," he said, "a very long day indeed."

We were quiet for a few minutes. There was stuff that I wanted to ask him, but I was having a hard time bringing myself to ask it. So I played with the hem of the shirt I was wearing and stared at the sea.

"I'm sorry about him," he said, finally.

"I don't know what to do," I said, pressing my fingers into my temples. I was perplexed and the whole situation made me feel off. "What did I do wrong?"

"You did nothing, absolutely nothing wrong, Kat." he said. "He's being a prick and I'm sorry... he thinks he is the reason that you got bit and almost got raped."

"That's so messed up, you know that," I said. "The reason it happened is because they're all sick fucks, not because of anything he had to do with it."

"I know," he said, though I wasn't sure I believed him.

"I knew what kind of dangers I was in before I got here. I signed up for this."

He nodded.

"And I love him," I said. "I love him a lot. And it's not fair that he can't be there for me when I need him. He won't even look me in the eyes. I understand why he feels like he does, but that doesn't mean he's not incredibly stupid." A few moments passed. I could tell he didn't know quite what to say. "He's not going to let me leave with you guys, is he?"

He shrugged. "I don't know what he's thinking anymore either, Kat. He doesn't share a lot with any of us until it's time to move."

It made me feel a little better that I wasn't the only one out of the loop. Harry was such a peculiar person. I tried to think back and discern the things that made me fall so in love with him, but it made my brain hurt.

"You should go rest," Ron said. "I'm sure you're exhausted."

"You should too," I told him. Just because I was hurt worse, didn't mean anything. We all had been run ragged and deserved rest.

"I plan to." he said, smiling. We both stood up and walked back inside to the house.

~.~

I spent a lot of time over the next few days asleep. I was trying to heal myself and recover from everything that had happened. The few times I saw Harry just made me feel awful, so I didn't really feel like leaving my room. I was perfectly content to lie in bed all day.

On about the fourth day of this, Fleur woke me up early. Well, I wasn't sure quite time what it was, but I knew that for the first time I was being woken up instead of waking up when I wanted to.

"I think it is time for you to get out of bed," she said. "Get up; get some fresh air and sun shine. It will help you feel better. "

I knew she was right, so I didn't argue; I just wasn't looking forward to it. "Okay," I said.

"Would you like me to cut your hair? I've cut Hermione's and the boys. You all needed them desperately."

"Sure," I said.

"Good," she said. "Get dressed and come downstairs. I will have breakfast waiting."

I let myself smile a small smile. I was lucky to have her. I got dressed and took some time to brush my teeth. It finally seemed like everything had healed. My nose would forever be crooked. I had lost a lot of things on this trip, and my nose was one of them. I was starting to get color back as well, compared to a few days ago. I was still too skinny and ratty looking.

I said good morning to Luna, who was reading in the living room. She was strange, but nice enough. The clock that hung on the mantle in the living room said it was ten o'clock in the morning.

I walked into the kitchen and saw that Fleur had put a bowl of porridge on the table. I could see she was outside talking to Bill. They had such a beautiful home. It sort of reminded me of my family's house by the sea. I hadn't yet been down to the beach, but maybe I would do that later.

After I ate, Fleur came in and cut my hair. I just let her do whatever she wanted to with it, I didn't care. When she was done, it was a lot shorter but felt so much healthier. I ran my fingers through it and it made me feel better. "Thank you," I said.

"Of course," she said.

I went outside and walked down to the beach. It was a little colder than prime beach weather, but I was sure that during the summer it would be gorgeous. I found a dry spot of sand and sat down to just be for a bit.

I was so glad to be _here _. Here was alive and safe, something I had taken for granted for so much of my life. I had a roof over my head, hot food, and I didn't have to worry about being attacked? I had been preoccupied with being in charge for so long. Maybe I wasn't in charge of the entire mission, but I was in charge of keeping us fed. The whole time I had been away had been so stressful. This was just such a relief.

I thought about Harry, and then realized I didn't want to think about him. The whole situation but a bad taste in my mouth and made me angry. I did not deserve this. But what was I supposed to do about? He made it clear that he didn't want to be around me. It felt like every time I entered the room, he tried to leave. He wouldn't look at me.

I knew they were preparing to leave. I wasn't sure when, but it seemed like they were getting ready. I felt completely excluded, and knew I wasn't welcome to come with them. It was hard, to know I had come so far and given up so much, yet I couldn't finish what I had started. I tried not to think about it.

On the far end of the beach, I saw Harry and Ron had come down. They started to walk in the opposite direction, but I wasn't sure they had even seen me to begin. I sighed, and decided to walk back up to the house. I needed to go make myself be useful.

**Author's Note: Here we go! Another chapter done. Happy Holidays to everyone celebrating. Thanks to potter-reading-coastier for betaing. Let me know what you think! If I get 5 reviews, I'll post another chapter on Christmas! **


	37. Chapter 36

When I got in the house, I found Fleur in the kitchen. I wanted to do something useful. I needed a purpose.

"Do you have potion making supplies?" I asked her.

"Of course," she said. "But what do you need? More pain potion?"

"No," I said. I was in pain, but I did not want my mind to be fuzzy anymore. "I just need something to do, and, well... our potion stores were getting low..."

I could tell from the look on her face that she was starting to understand. "Yes, of course," she said "I keep it in here." She led me to a small closet like room next to the pantry. There was a giant rack of any potion ingredient you could think of, and an empty cauldron.

"Do you mind if I...?"

"No, no! Go ahead. I think it's good if you keep busy."

I had not had the chance to sit in front of a cauldron in many, many months. It felt right. I took a deep breath and could smell all the herbs and ingredients, the dusty smell they all combined into. I started **with something**easy, a pain potion that I knew by heart, and **potion making**came right back. It reminded me of long hours working on potions in the dungeons at Hogwarts. It just felt right. It made me feel more like myself.

I spent all afternoon in there, until my hands were dry and cracked from being near the heat so much. I had brewed three simple potions that would go with Harry. Maybe I could even use them as a bargaining chip. I knew it was getting late, because light was not streaming through the small window that was over my head. I could smell dinner and it smelled good, but I didn't want to go out if it was not ready yet.

However, I could hear a commotion outside. It was loud, and there were many excited voices. I cracked open the door and saw that Remus Lupin was standing outside. It seemed like every inhabitant of the house was gathered around, listening to him.

"Yes- yes- a boy!" he said. It dawned on me that he was talking about his child- his_son_. "Harry, you'll be godfather?"

"M-me?" Harry asked in disbelief.

"You, yes, of course- Dora agrees, no one better-"

"I- yeah- blimey!" Harry said, and he smiled for the first time in awhile. It was nice, to see him smile. He looked happy and younger. I was sad that I couldn't make him smile like that.

"And Hermione? Godmother?"

Hermione looked incredibly shocked. "Why, yes, of course, Remus! I'd be so honored!"

Bill was moving past me to grab a bottle of wine. "We have to celebrate!"

With a glass of wine, things became a bit more bearable. I settled into a corner of the couch as the rest of them cooed over the thought of a new baby. The thought made me a little sick. Who would want to bring a baby into this horrible world? What kind of life would this child live?

I was probably just bitter because I didn't know if I'd ever get to know the joy of announcing my child to friends. Would I ever see that sort of a future? It was looking dim. Who knew if I would be alive? Moreover, if I were, would I have friends to tell?

"...I think he looks like Dora, but Dora thinks he is like me. Not much hair. It looked black when he was born, but I swear, it's turned ginger in the hour since..."

I didn't give much attention to Remus, just letting his words go in one ear and out the other. I accepted another glassful of wine from Bill.

"I must get going, no, I can't possibly accept another glass-" Remus said, declining. "I'll try to come by in a few days; I really should get back-"

He grabbed his traveling cloak, and Bill and Harry saw him out. I went into the kitchen to help Fleur set the table for dinner. Fleur was so graceful as she put the finishing touch on the meal. I had struggled with putting together meals for the four of us when we were traveling, and she seamlessly pulled together for ten people.

"Dinner is ready!" she said. "Kat, will you go get Bill and Harry?"

I nodded. They had not yet returned from outside, but as I got close to the door, I could hear Bill's voice. He sounded angry, and that piqued my interest. I cracked the door so I could hear.

"She's been through something highly traumatic, Harry. She needs support right now, from you especially, and you won't even look at her-"

I realized that they were talking about me and my stomach dropped. I felt a surge of gratitude toward Bill

"I won't stand for that in my house. You better start treating her with a hell of a lot more respect-"

I knew that Bill was wasting his breath on Harry, so I decided to announce my presence by opening the door the whole way. "Dinner's ready." I said.

"Thank you, Kat," Bill said. "We'll be right in."

I shut the door behind me, and joined everyone else at the table. People were very happy tonight. It was as if the news of Remus' child's birth gave everyone some hope. And in a way, it was nice. I hadn't heard much laughter in awhile. However, I was just too angry to take it well tonight, and the wine had not helped.

When Harry came in, he took the only available seat, which was across from me. I looked up at him, to see if the talk Bill had with him had done anything. I looked at how ragged he looked, how angry his face was, and I felt like I could sympathize. He briefly raised his eyes to look at me, and then darted his eyes away. I must have looked pretty ugly.

After dinner, I made myself scarce by going into the potion closet and cleaning up the mess I had abandoned earlier. It was chilly in there, because I had left the window cracked, but it felt good on my flushed skin. I wiped up the potion I had spilled and returned all the ingredients to their proper, alphabetized spots on the shelf. It felt good to leave everything in order. Then I figured there was nothing left to do. Ron and Luna were probably playing Exploding Snap in the living room, but everyone else had probably gone to their separate corners of the house.

Fleur and Bill were in the kitchen, speaking softly. "Good night," I said quietly.

"Actually, Kat, can we speak to you for a minute?" Bill asked.

"Yeah, of course," I said and turned around.

"More wine?" he asked, holding up what was left of one of the bottles opened earlier.

"No, thank you," I said. I had plenty of wine tonight.

"Sit," Fleur said, gesturing to the table. I was a little confused; what did they want to talk about that necessitated sitting down?

"We just want to extend an invitation for you to stay here," Bill said. "I spoke with Harry earlier and they are planning on moving on within a few days."

"And although you are physically healed, maybe it would be best for you to stay here and recuperate a bit longer..." Fleur said.

"And not have to deal with that prat." Bill added.

I tried to smile, but was afraid it just came out as a grimace. I did appreciate what they were saying. They were being incredibly kind to me, and really, I did not deserve it. I was not related to them. I had just ended up in their house.

"I really, really appreciate the offer," I said. "But... I would really like to continue on with them. I've come this far already..."

"Kat, I'm not sure he's going to let you go with them," Bill said, his voice softer.

It was not a possibility, to me. I was going to leave with them. "I have given up so much to be with them," I said. I knew they were right, and I was starting to get emotional. My voice cracked, but I willed myself to hold myself together. "I don't think it's very fair to not let me finish what I started."

"But-"

"No buts," I said, trying to take a deep breath. "I really do appreciate the offer. But I won't accept it, I'm sorry... I'd like to go to bed."

"Good night," they said.

~.~

On the way up to my room, I asked Ron if I could speak with him. We both padded up one more set of stairs to my room. "What's up?" he asked.

"Are we leaving?" I asked. "Your brother's under the impression that Harry wants to leave."

Ron sighed, and slumped down on the end of my bed. "I really think you should talk to Harry."

"He won't even look at me, Ron, do you seriously think he'll talk to me?"

"Corner him, or something," he suggested. "I'm sorry, Kat, I don't know what to say."

And that was it. He wouldn't say anything else, before he left to go back downstairs.

It all gave me a sick feeling in my stomach. I sunk into the bed, and let myself cry.

~.~

I woke up early, and I felt sure that I was the only one awake. Maybe, I could stake out for Harry and wait for him that way. I threw on my dressing gown and slippers and headed downstairs.

I was right; it seemed like I was the first one awake. The house was chilly, so I put a log onto the fire in the living room and sat in front of it. It was then that I noticed the door was slightly ajar. Interested, I stood up. Out the kitchen window, I could see Harry's back as he walked away from the cottage.

Enough was enough. I was going to talk to him, and he could not avoid me this time. I walked to the door, opened it slowly so it would not make a lot of noise, then shut if behind me.

I walked quickly over the long grass to try to catch up with him. For a few minutes, I followed him, until he sat down at the edge of the cliff, overlooking the water.

"Harry!" I said. He jumped, startled, and had already reached for his wand.

"You startled me," he said, turning back to look at the ocean. I sat down next to him.

"Sorry," I said. "If you hadn't been avoiding me so thoroughly, I wouldn't have had to sneak up on you."

He shrugged. "Sorry."

"Can we talk?" I asked. He wouldn't even look at me.

"I guess." He sighed.

"Look," I said. I was angry that he was directly treating me like this. "I get it. Greyback went after me and now I am not remotely attractive or anything. Believe me, I understand. But can you at least give me some dignity and look at me?"

"All I see when I look at you is the broken nose and black eye," he said quietly. "And you know what, Kat? I am the reason you have those."

"No, you're not," I said.

"Yes." He said. "I put you in that situation. If you hadn't been with me, you would not have ended up at Malfoy Manor, you wouldn't have been hurt. Look at you. Your nose is broken, your eye is black, you're cut from head to toe, and Bill said Greyback got a bite in."

"It's not a bad one!" I said. "Not even as bad as his…."

"I don't care!" he said. "It happened. I thought I could handle this, you know? Manage to take down Riddle and still manage to protect you from harm but I can't. I've failed, and every time I look at you, I see my failure."

"I'm not a damsel in distress, Harry. I don't need constant protection. I knew the risks going into this. Considering I thought I was going to die there, what I came out with isn't all that bad."

"I should never have even let you get in a position where you felt like you would die there. It's… I can't do this." He said, turning as if he was about to get up.

"Harry, wait," I said. "Please—"

"Bill told me that they extended an invitation to you to remain at Shell Cottage."

"I declined." I said. I appreciated the offer, but I would not accept it. I had given up so much this year. I was not going to give up at the eleventh hour. "I've come this far, I am not going to leave you guys now."

"I'm sorry, Kat." He said. "But when we leave here, you will not be coming with us."

"Harry-" I said, starting to get choked up. I was not going to stay here.

"I'm sorry. I can't let you come with us, I just can't risk you. Your journey with us is over." He leaned in and kissed the top of my head, then started to walk away. I let the tears come. I was exhausted and I hurt and my mind was so clouded by emotions that I just didn't have it in me to fight back.

**Author's Note: Merry Christmas everyone! And Happy Other-Holidays as well. I was blown away by all the reviews I got on the last chapter- think I can have a repeat? It would make my Christmas! Hope Santa was good to everyone. Thanks to potter-reading-coastie for betaing. Let me know what you think?n**


	38. Chapter 37

I spent the rest of the day in my room. I was miserable, and had no idea what to do with myself. I did not have my head on enough to be presentable. I had a feeling that if I went downstairs, I would probably just be cranky and rude. I would also probably beat Harry up. At the same time, I managed to be incredibly hurt and filled with a huge anger. I was so angry at him. I hated him.

I sat there, staring at the ceiling and thinking about everything that I had given up over the last ten months. It seemed like so much: my family, my friends, Adam, any sense of normalcy. I gave up hot water and real meals. I lost the chance to be a teenager, and instead became a person on the run. It was a terrible lifestyle.

But at the same time, I wanted, no, I needed to continue it. I had to see this done. I had to see Voldemort dead, his Horcruxes destroyed, and know that I had played my part in that. I wanted to see us victorious; to stand there and know that everything I gave up, I gave up for that. But Harry was denying me that.

They would move on soon, and I just had to accept it. I would have to watch them leave. Actually, knowing Harry, he would not make any fanfare about leaving. They would leave in the middle of the night.

That night, I waited until it was fully dark. I put my ear to the door, and couldn't hear any voices downstairs. Usually, at night, there was a game of Exploding Snap or something going on, and I wanted to make sure that was over. When I was sure I heard no voices, I opened my door, and tiptoed downstairs.

I stopped in the room that Ron and Harry were sharing. Ever so slowly, I opened their door, checking that they were still there. As soon as I cracked the door, I could hear Ron's loud snoring. Yes, they were still here. I could see Harry, asleep in the far bed. He slept on his stomach, and I could see his wand lying next to his pillow, his right hand curled around it; ready. I shut the door, and moved on.

In the living room, the fire had yet to burn low. I sat in front of it, resting my back against the couch. I pulled a soft quilt off the back of the couch and got cozy. A deep breath and I could smell the smoke of the fire. Faintly, the smell of the chicken Fleur had made for dinner. I knew from this spot, I would know if they left. I would wake up.

At some point, my eye lids grew heavy and I dozed off. I slept straight through to morning, only to be woken up by someone shaking me. I was startled, and reached for my wand. "Are they-" I started, but saw it was only Bill. I stopped and sighed.

"He isn't going to take you with him," he said, gently, "even if you manage to catch him leaving."

"Doesn't hurt to try," I said, shrugging it off. I was a little embarrassed to be caught. Was I being pathetic? Maybe a little.

"Come, I am making breakfast!" Fleur called, happily. She always seemed to be able to put on a happy face. And she always looked amazing, even first thing in the morning. I made a cup of tea and sat at the table while she cooked eggs. Slowly, but surely, everyone streamed into the kitchen to get some breakfast. It seemed, to me at least, that for today, I was safe.

~.~

That night, I did the same thing. I waited until everyone was asleep, and then tiptoed to my place in front of the fire. I _knew t_hey would be leaving soon. They had already been here longer than seemed necessary. Everyone had healed up, rested, and then they had stayed here a few extra days. Plus, I had seen the three of them exchange a few interesting looks today. I knew the departure was coming.

I tried to stay up as long as I could, but eventually succumbed to sleep. It was fitful sleep, I seemed to wake up every so often. Every time I did, I was concerned that they had left, but the house was quiet. It was still very dark out.

The third or fourth time I woke up, it was light out.

_Slam._

The door in the kitchen closed loudly. I was up, without any further thought. I grabbed the bag of potions that I had made in the last week, and ran to the door. I saw Harry, Hermione, and Ron were heading away from the cottage.

"Wait!" I screamed, throwing open the door and taking off after them.

They all turned around, but said nothing. They stopped and looked at me.

"I... I made some potions," I said, slowing my run down as I got close to them. I held up my bag. "Pain potions, sleep potions, blood replenishing... everything you might need out there."

"Thank you, Kat," Hermione said, taking the bag from me.

"Are you sure..." I started, but felt stupid. "Are you sure I can't come?"

"Positive." Harry said, but he did not look angry or annoyed.

Adam's Point of View

"Hey, mate, Mum's just about to put dinner on the table and you know how she hates when we're late," George said, poking his head into the room that he, Fred, Lee, and I shared. I hoped down off the bunk bed and moved downstairs.

"Do we have company?" I asked, wondering why Molly was making such a fuss. I had been here for a few months, and fusses usually meant company.

"Tonks and Remus have come for dinner," he said. "And Remus has lots of news to share..."

That piqued my interest. Would we be broadcasting another Potterwatch? I could certainly use some excitement.

We all sat down around the big table and Molly's food started flying around and serving itself. I had never eaten so well as I had in the past few months here. I was so grateful that Lee and I had escaped from the Snatchers and found our way to the Weasleys.

"Tell us the news, Remus!" Arthur insisted.

"Right, right," he said, his mouth full of potatoes. He chewed and swallowed, and we all leaned in to hear. "So, I went to Shell Cottage on the night that Teddy was born, to tell Bill and Fleur, and they had guests. Harry was there!"

"Harry?" I asked. If Harry was there, then surely, Kat was too. An icy feeling made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

"Was Ron there?" Molly asked, quickly. "Why didn't Bill tell us?"

"You knew he had visitors," Arthur said.

"Well, I knew he had visitors, but he did not tell me my son was there!" she said, her voice rising. I would hate to be Bill right now, to have what would surely be an angry Molly after him. "He was there, right, Remus?"

"Yes, yes, of course!" Remus said. "Ron, and Hermione, too. And Katherine Hammond, who's been traveling with them."

She _was _there, which meant she was safe. She was alive and whole and safe at their house. I could probably even see her. My nights of lying awake and worrying about her were over.

"How is she?" I asked, though my question got lost in the outbursts of everyone else around the table.

Tonks, who was sitting across from me, caught my eye. "Remus said Bill told him that she had been bit by Greyback."

"The werewolf?" I asked, suddenly feeling sick. She nodded, and then turned her attention to the baby asleep in her arms.

I became very angry. She had gone with Harry and he had not kept her safe. I wondered how bad the bite was... would she ever get to live a normal life? Or would she be permanently haunted by her time with Harry?

I tried to swallow all of my ill feelings, they were just making me sick. But I had to find a way to see Kat.

Harry's Point of View

"Positive," I said, gently. I watched as her face crumpled up and she started to cry. The Kat that began this journey with us would never have cried in front of us. She had been worn down and reduced to this. That was why she needed to stay. She needed time to heal, and I was not helping her.

I opened my arms and she stepped forward, into them. "Please, don't go," she said, quietly.

This would be the last time I ever saw her, so I tried to take it all in. She was far too skinny; her fingers were bony against my body. But her hair was soft against my face and the embrace felt good. She leaned out of it, her eyes meeting mine. They were gray and watery, and I was worried she would cry. For the first time, I saw exactly how badly she had been hurt by the attack on Malfoy Manor. Her nose would forever be crooked, she would always have those scars...

"I'm sorry," I said quietly. "I won't hurt you anymore."

"It's not about that," she said, her voice cracking. "You know it's not."

"I know," I said. She grabbed a hold of my shirt, learned in and kissed me. And I let her. I should have been embracing her this entire time. She was hurting, and Bill was right: she needed me. I had been terrible to her. So I had to leave.

I was not leaving her behind because I did not love her. I was leaving her here_because_I loved her. Because she needed to stay. She deserved to have a life beyond this, she had given up so much already, but I could not risk losing her. I needed to know that she would be safe and live beyond this stupid war, and the only way I could know she would for certain was to leave her behind. I knew that Bill and Fleur would make certain that she was taken care of for now. After this stupid war was over, she would be able to move on with her life.

Kat's Point of View

I kissed him, because this was our goodbye. Mercifully, he kissed me back, and waited for me to pull away.

"This will be the last time I ever see you guys," I said, and could feel tears start to slip down my face as I realized the implications of what I said. It was harsh, but it was true. Hopefully, with any luck, they would soon face Voldemort and bring him down. But what would they sacrifice in achieving that?

"Oy," Ron said, sounding a bit hurt. "Have a bit of faith in us, yeah?"

I tried to laugh, but didn't do so well with it. It came out as a pathetic, watery chuckle. Ron stepped forward and crushed me in a hug. "We'll come back. I promise," he whispered into my hair. "I'll make sure he doesn't get in too much trouble."

We both knew that was a promise that he could not keep. "Thanks, Ron," I said anyways.

"You take care of them," he said knocking his head towards the house.

I nodded. "Of course," I said. I looked at them all and started to cry. "Are you sure I can't-"

"I'm really going to miss you," Hermione said, hugging me. Then, before I knew it, she had brought her wand arm up to my temple. "Stupefy!"

And my world went dark.

**Author's Note: Another chapter done! I am so sincerely loving all of these reviews you are leaving me. Nothing makes me happier than the feedback and answering questions about the story! It's honestly why I write. So don't hesitate to pass on some constructive criticism or questions you have! Thanks to potter-reading-coastie for betaing. Let me know what you think! **


	39. Chapter 38

The next thing I knew, Bill was shaking me awake. As soon as my eyes opened, it was like I had never shut them. I tried to get up right away and chase after them. My head was spinning, and I was unsteady. But Bill grabbed my arm. "They're gone, Kat," he said.

"No, no, no. They can't be gone- HARRY!" I screamed. "HARRY! COME BACK!"

"Here, drink this, please," he said. I refused the potion and tried to run further down the beach. I didn't get very far before I stumbled, and I found myself drinking the potion. I knew as soon as it hit my tongue that it was a calming drought. My eyes grew heavy and I took Bill's hand to get up, out of the sand. He walked me into the house, and I didn't feel like I could say no. At that point, all I wanted was my bed. Blinking required so much effort...

I found myself in a daze, but in my bed. I couldn't remember how I got there, but I did. I stared at the ceiling for a few minutes, but it started spinning and confusing me, so I just closed my eyes and buried my face in the pillows. It did not take long for me to fall asleep.

~.~

"Kat?" Fleur asked softly, stirring me from my sleep.

I blinked a few times, trying to get a grip on reality. They were gone. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had left, and I was left here. I sighed as everything came back to me. The goodbye kiss, Hermione stunning me, Bill making me drink a calming draught.

"Yeah?" I asked, my voice raspy. I coughed a few times.

"We have visitors, would you like to come down?" she asked. But I could tell it was not really a question. They wanted me to get out of my room and be a little social. Maybe they were trying to distract me from everything that had happened today.

I figured it was just Remus, and maybe Tonks and the baby. "Yeah, sure," I said. "Just give me a second to get dressed..."

She shut my door and let me be. I changed out of the pajamas I was still wearing, before going downstairs. I tried to listen to the voices as I went down the stairs, and it didn't sound like Remus and Tonks. As soon as I reached the bottom of the stairs, I was attacked with a hug. "Oh, Kat!"

"Adam?" I asked, in disbelief. He let go of me, and I got to look at him fully. He looked so much older than he had the last time I saw him. His hair was a bit scraggly and he had a beard and he just looked grown up. "Oh my god..."

I buried my face in his neck and did not want to let go. I still couldn't believe it. My brain was too busy to come up with words, so I just held tight to him. How did he get here? Where had he been these past few months? Was he okay?

"You're okay!" he said. "I've been so worried about you."

"I'm fine," I said. "Completely, totally, fine."

It was then that I became aware of how many people were in the room with us. Adam was not our only visitor. Ron's mum and his twin brothers were there as well, watching the interaction between Adam and I. It made me feel really awkward.

"Hello," I said, to all of them. Unsure how to proceed, I took a few steps away from Adam. I knew they would want to hear all about things with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Perhaps they would even be angry at me for staying here, or not stopping them.

"I've made supper!" Fleur said, directing us all into the kitchen. Of course she had made supper. It seemed like meals were the way these people socialized. Coming from such a divided family, I only ate meals like this with other people on holidays. I had more large meals in the past ten days than in the past ten years.

I sat down across from Adam, wanting desperately to be alone with him and able to talk freely. I wanted to know all about where he had been and what he had been up to.

"You've been with them?" Molly asked. I could tell she had been restraining herself.

Since she asked just as I had taken a bite of food, I just nodded. All eyes were on me, and I found myself unable to meet anyone's gaze.

"Mum..." Bill said, his tone warning her. I was glad that I had Bill and Fleur. I was lucky that they were allowing me to stay here, and understanding that I didn't want to talk about things.

"Thank you," I said, quietly. "I'd been with them since August. Since they left."

"Why didn't you stop them from leaving?" I didn't know her well enough to discern her

"You don't think she tried?" Bill asked. "Honestly, Mum. Remus told you what happened."

I felt so strange about the fact that they had been talking about me. I knew that I was interesting to these people; a connection to those that they loved. But it was still odd to face them. "There's no stopping them," I said. "You _know _Harry. When he is determined, it's very hard to change his mind."

I took a sip of water as everyone looked at me. "Besides, if I had had it my way, I would have gone with them."

That set her off. She was yelling so loud and speaking so quickly, I couldn't even understand her. All I knew was that suddenly I didn't want to be in the same room as her right now. Why did the simple idea of me wanting to be with my friends set her off like that?

I got up from the table and went into the living room, Adam on my heels. He helped to calm me as everyone else calmed the storm I had created in Molly Weasley. It took a while, but when things seemed to have calmed down, Adam and I went back in. I did have to eat after all.

~.~

"Let's go for a walk," I said to Adam, as soon as the meal was over. There was still enough light out to walk down the beach, or at least find somewhere to sit and talk freely. Once outside, with the fresh air and some privacy, I felt a lot better. "So how have you been?"

"How have I been?" he asked. "I'm fine, of course, there's been nothing to worry about. You, on the other hand..."

"I'm fine, Adam," I said.

"You're always _fine _, Kat." he sighed. "How are you really? You're incredibly thin."

"Well, we were not exactly eating from the Hogwarts kitchens out there," I reminded him. "I was in charge of food, and I did my best."

"But... I mean..." he grasped at words, but failed. He grabbed my hand and held up his own.I lined it up to his. You could see how small, how thin my hands were. I just shrugged and pulled away, stuffing my hands in my pockets.

"Well I'm here now, and you saw how Fleur is feeding me. I'll fatten up in no time."

He laughed for a second, but then got quiet. "So... what did you do... out there?"

"You know I can't tell you that," I said, sighing. I couldn't tell _anyone. _They might have left me behind, but I was going to keep their work safe.

"Not even a hint?" he asked. "Please?"

"Adam," I said. "No. We traveled around a lot. The night that you got attacked by Snatchers? We were camping not so far away. I heard you."

"You didn't come out to say hi?" he asked.

"No," I said. I thought back to that night and how blindly angry I had been at Harry for preventing me from going to see Adam. He had really just been keeping me safe. "I wanted to-"

"But?"

"But it wouldn't have been safe- I would have gotten dragged off by the Snatchers with you and-"

"And that isn't preferable to getting attacked by a werewolf?"

"How did you know about that?" I asked. I stopped walking down the beach and faced him, crossing my arms.

"Tonks told me," he said.

"Why's it her business?" I asked. I was so, so angry. The attack was something that I was still trying to process and I hated that I couldn't just keep it to myself until I was ready to share. I had not even yet experienced my first full moon. I would not know how I handled myself for a few more weeks. I didn't want people to think things about me that weren't true. "Why is that her news to share?"

"I mean, it's not," he said, seeming baffled by my anger. "She didn't say it loudly or anything, just to me..."

"Still!" I said. "It's not something I want everyone to know."

"Kat... it's okay," he said, trying to put a hand on my shoulder. I shrugged him off. "It's not something you should feel bad about! You should be getting help for it."

"I am FINE!" I yelled. "I'm not sure why everyone thinks I need to get help."

"It's because people care-"

"If people care, then what they can give me is space. That's what I need."

We were quiet for a minute, so I kept walking. I was angry, but only a little of this anger was directed toward Adam. Maybe if we kept walking, things would get better.

A few minutes passed, in silence from Adam, and my own attempts to take deep breaths and focus on the good of today, rather than the things that upset me. "I didn't think you would react like that," he said, quietly. "I'm sorry, Kat."

"It's okay," I said. "It's just... a lot. I'm processing a lot right now."

"I know, I know," he said, leaning in to wrap his arm around me. I appreciated the hug. "Can I see the bite...?"

"I don't see what good that will bring." I said.

"Please?"

Feeling bad for snapping at him, I let him push the back of my shirt up to look at it. It didn't hurt anymore, luckily, I just felt hyper aware of his fingers as they moved over it. "It's not... so bad..." he said, trying to make his voice sound convincing.

I turned around and looked at him, to see if he was being honest. "I don't care how it looks," I said.

"How did that even happen?" he asked. "Didn't Harry try to stop it?"

I didn't want to talk about Harry. "I got it doing something I believe in, Adam," I explained. "And there's nothing I can do to take it back. I don't really want to talk about it anymore."

"Okay," he said. He put his arm around my shoulder in what I thought was supposed to be a friendly gesture but I wasn't sure how it made me feel. We walked to the end of beach. We could have kept going, but the stone jetty was a good stopping point. Plus, it was just about to get dark out. As safe as I felt at Shell Cottage, I did not want to be out here in the dark.

"I'm really, really glad that I'm able to spend time with you... It's been a really scary few months."

"I know what you mean," I said. He was right; it was very nice to get to spend time with someone who knew me before the the war. Bill and Fleur were incredibly nice, but they only knew a fraction of me. They knew the version of me that was hurting because I was left behind, who was still trying to process the attack. I felt like there was so much more to me, but it was hidden. Adam knew that part of me. He knew the me that loved Hogsmeade and spending hours brewing potions. "I'm glad you're here."

He leaned in closer and pressed his lips against me. Immediately, I put my hands to his chest and pushed him away. All of the anger I had felt before and then some more flooded my body, and I just felt hot. Hot and angry and like I wanted to hurt him. I just stared at him for a moment, trying to think of something to say that really encompassed what I was feeling. But in the end, I decided just to run back to Shell Cottage, up to my room, and shut the door.

**Author's Note: Another chapter, done! Also, I am happy to announce a VERY IMPORTANT update on my (looong neglected) blog. To get to my blog, you can visit My Website on my profile, or go to emilyherselfwrites dot w0rdpress (put a o for the 0!) dot com. There is a soundtrack to Not Alone there too! Thank you to potter-reading-coastie for your help on this chapter. Let me know what you think!**


	40. Chapter 39

What was he _thinking _? I was just looking for a friend. Not for anything that the kiss had stood for.

He had chased me down the beach, but in the end, had not been able to keep up with me, and did not even try to come upstairs. I was grateful for that. I was not even sure I would know how to interact with him.

The next day, I was afraid he would come back. But he never did. Part of me was really sad, because I almost had a friend, but then I didn't. I also felt like it meant he only valued me as a girlfriend. I wanted friendship, and that wasn't good enough. I tried not to dwell on thoughts of Adam. He was not my main problem here, and he would be fine.

Every morning when I woke up, I sat up in bed and stared out the window. From my room on the top floor, I could see out over the beach and the cliffs. I wondered where, out there, were my friends. Were they doing okay? What dangers were they facing today? I hoped they were making more progress than we had before. I wished I had given them more potions, and that I had shared more about how to cook out there. I wondered how long this war would go on.

Now that I was not traveling with them, I wondered where my father was. I would rather be with him than here. I had safety here and I knew Adam had been right, they _did _care about me, but I longed for my family. So I thought I would bring it up with Bill and Fleur.

"Do you think I could try and find my father?" I asked, as we sat in front of the fire that night. Luna was reading some magazine in an armchair across the room but I felt comfortable asking in front of her.

They were both quiet for a few second. "Your father was pretty high up in the Ministry, wasn't he?" Bill asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, he was Head of the Department of Magical Transportation," I said. "He's in hiding. Has anyone you're in contact with heard from him?"

"Why is he in hiding?" Fleur asked.

"My stepmum's a Muggle." I didn't think of Vera or her girls very often. But I hoped they were safe. I would not mind even seeing her and my stepsisters right now. "She is hiding with her daughters somewhere in France."

"Interesting marriage," she commented.

"And he's not in France?" Bill asked.

"Not that I know of," I said. "We saw him at Christmas, by accident."

"By accident...?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"This might be saying too much, but on Christmas Eve, we were all very cold and Hermione was ill, so we decided to spend some time at my family's cottage down on the southern coast. Y'know, to get inside for a bit and maybe warm up in a hot shower. Well, he had wards up and knew we were there, so he visited and we spent Christmas together."

"And he let you leave?"

I shook my head. "No," I said. I felt _awful _about having to give my father a sleeping potion in order to escape, but at the time it was the only solution. "We gave him a sleeping potion in his wine and waited for him to fall asleep before we left."

Saying it out loud, it sounded like the worst possible thing anyone could do to their father, so I cringed. It was just how we survived. I hadn't hurt him, at least not physically.

"But you haven't seen him or heard from him since Christmas?"

I shook my head. "No, I haven't really had any way to contact him."

"Well," Bill said, "I haven't heard of him from anyone I've spoken with."

"Is there any way we can try?"

There was a pause. Bill and Fleur exchanged a glance, and from what I could tell, it wasn't good. "The thing is, Kat," he said. "You're a pretty big target for You-Know-Who. If we go out there and put the word out that we're looking for your dad, we're putting you in danger. You-know-Who finds out that you're separated from Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and he's going to come straight after you. Then he'll torture you to get any information he can, and you'll be killed."

It made _sense _, rationally. But I didn't really like it. I also did not want to be tortured or killed, especially if it made thing harder for my friends. I just wanted them to hurry up and win this thing already.

"But as soon as this is all over," Bill said, "I will help you find your father. And anyone else in your family."

"Just my brother," I said. "But he's safe. Last I heard about him, he was working as an Auror, guarding Gringotts. He's pure blood, he should be safe, especially since Dad's not around, right?"

"I'm sure he's fine."

I nodded. It was nice to know that one of us was okay. Between Bill, Fleur, and I, there was not much left to say. We sat in the living room, in near silence, save for Luna's humming and the crackle of the fire, for a long time that night.

~.~

A few days later, I was in my room getting ready for bed. Well, I was really just laying in bed, in my jeans, staring at my pajamas without wanting to get into them. My hair was dirty, and I could use a shower, but I decided to wait until morning. It was the epitome of a lazy day.

There was a quick knock on my door, and then Fleur came in.

"There's going to be a battle, at Hogwarts," she said. "They're calling for reinforcements. Bill and I are going to fight. You're welcome to join us or stay here, it doesn't matter to us-"

"I'll go," I said, immediately getting up.

"We have a portkey leaving in five minutes, grab what you need and come downstairs." And she was gone just as quickly as she had come. I wondered how she still managed to look so calm about this, as soon as she left, I felt crazed.

There were a few things I needed, but mostly I just went in circles around my room. Wand? Yes, I needed my wand. I grabbed a sweatshirt and put it on, since it was night time and I did not know how long we would be out. How long would the battle last? How many people would die? I was worried about dueling someone. Did I bring my potions?

I looked to the journal that was in the open drawer of my bedside table. I rushed to it, knowing I did not have much time. "Alohamora," I said, and left it unlocked. If, for any reason, I did not come back from this battle, I wanted the story to be known. I wanted people to know the truth about the journey that the four of us took. I didn't want Rita Skeeter's story to be the one everyone heard. So I left my journal unlocked in hopes that it would fall into the right hands.

Then, I slipped on my shoes and ran downstairs. I was the last one out of the house, and felt a brief pang of guilt, but then I carried on. It was not that big of a deal. I grabbed a hold of the Portkey, which was a large, tarnished silver serving spoon.

And then a minute later, we landed on a floor. My head was spinning, trying to grasp that we were no longer at Shell Cottage, dealing with the headache that the Portkey gave me, and attempting to figure out where we were. It was dark, dusty, and dirty. There seemed to be people all around me, but Bill gave me a hand up.

It took me a minute to place where we were, but eventually I figured it out. We were in the Hog's Head, in Hogsmeade.

"Quiet! Keep movin', you lot," a gruff voice said. I couldn't figure out where it was coming from of where the flow of traffic was going, so mostly I followed Fleur. I held my wand in my right hand, my grip around it so tight that my knuckles were turning white.

"Behind that picture, there's a passage to Hogwarts," she said quietly to me. "It goes to the Room of Requirement."

I had only heard of the Room of Requirement once I had become friends with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but I had never been there. It seemed almost a little exciting, and for a few seconds I forgot about how scared I was.

Eventually, it was our turn to go through the passage. It was dark and cold, light flickering from candles that were placed every few feet along the walls. I wondered what we would see when we got to the other side. Was the battle already waging? Would we go to fight immediately? I had never been the greatest at dueling...

After a few minutes of walking, I could see light. It only got brighter as we got closer, and I could hear people's nervous chatter.

"How exciting!" Luna said, from behind me. I was the only one that heard her, so I just looked at her and nodded. We were very nearly in the Room of Requirement, and I could see it was set up so that three of the Houses were represented: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and my own Hufflepuffs. There seemed to be about forty people already in the large room.

I looked around for familiar faces. Molly Weasley was there, and I quickly looked away from her, not wanting to get into things with her again. Remus Lupin, Neville Longbottom, the Patil twins even stood in one corner. And then I heard a voice and immediately it drew all my attention. Harry. Harry was here, standing on what seemed to be an ever so slightly raised platform... I couldn't hear quite what he was saying over the chatter of the crowd.

"Kat!"

I turned around, and Adam was standing there. I hugged him, tightly. "I'm so sorry," I said in his ear.

"No, no, please, Kat... don't be sorry, it was all my fault," he said. "I was dumb. I wanted to come back, to offer you my apology, but they wouldn't let me so I thought I'd just give you some space..."

"Don't worry, please, let's just put it behind us," I said. I didn't want to have any misplaced enemies. Adam was a great friend. We had a long history, but he had been good to me. Now was not the time to be holding a grudge.

"Of course," he said. I looked around the room. People that had just gotten there were standing around, waiting. Some people looked like they had been here for ages; there were even hammocks and places to sit. People that had been here for awhile seemed to be sitting.

"Luna will take Harry, won't you, Luna?" I heard Ginny's voice say. She was talking loudly so that Harry, who was in the center of the room, could hear her.

"Ooh, yes, I would like to," Luna said from the other side of me. She walked towards Harry.

"How do we get out of here?" Harry asked, looking to Neville. He was right, I had yet to see a door out.

"The cupboard over there," Neville said, knocking his head to the left. They slipped out quietly, and I was pretty sure I wasn't the only one staring. But I was the one that was so hyperaware of every move Harry had made. I was just so happy that he was okay.

He had not even looked at me. I wonder if he knew I was there. Would he speak to me when he came back? Would he be angry that I came to fight?

It did not matter now, not really. I was here and that was not going to change. So I took a deep breath and waited to be told what to do.

**Author's Note: Sorry this took so long! I've gone back to college, where I have far less time for the fun stuff like writing. Hopefully it will take less time to get the next chapter out! Thanks to potter-reading-coastie for betaing this. Please, let me know what you think! Oh, and read on to enjoy the much-awaited return of EATC! **

**EatC Episode VI: The Return Of The Coastie**

**It has been a long year since we last saw our intrepid hero, Emily, her crazed partner, Coastie, and their fun-loving, chainsaw wielding, psychotic side-kick, Edward. Since then, Emily has gone to a most feared place. A most feared and dreaded place. A most feared, dreaded, and colorful place. Emily has gone to college. What will she learn there? More magic? More Magic and English? More underwater basket weaving? In a world, at the end of the Earth, in space, in a land, in time, in a land before time, one writer, half woman, half animal, half man, half robot, and half baked, will face the forces of Lord Voldermort, the Neo-Grammar Nazis, the devil, and Richard Belzer. She has one solution, one desire, and one chance to fight back, overcome the odds, defy logic, and battle monotony, in order to fall in love and save her family, her planet, her neighbor, Twilight Sparkle, her dog, your dog, and thirty three hamsters. In a race against deadlines, in this wacky new adventure. Coming soon this fall, this winter, this Christmas, this Fourth of July, this Hannukah, this weekend, next year. The written epic of the year, the millennium, the decade, next week, and last Thursday. Emily in the Return of the Transforming Alien Space Pirates Bridesmaid Avengers Hangover. Part Forty Two: The Reunion. Rated R for retarded.**


	41. Chapter 40

Not an hour later, the only people left in the Room of Requirement were the Weasley family, Adam, Remus, and Harry. I found it so strange that both Adam and Harry were making small talk with each other while Ginny tried to get her mother to let her join the fight.

"What are they doing in the Great Hall?" Adam asked Harry quietly.

"Well, first, we've got to evacuate all the underage students, get them out of here. Then, I imagine we'll organize people to fight in groups."

Adam looked around at the people in the room and nodded, assessing us. I looked to Harry, on my left, and practically ached.

"You're underage!" Molly Weasley yelled. "I won't permit it!The boys yes, but you, you've got to go home!"

I had so much that I wanted to say to him. I wanted to tell him how angry I was at him, how terribly he had treated me when I had needed him. But I also thought that the anger was useless now. Who knew if either of us would be alive when this was over? I wanted more than anything to come to peace between us.

But not here and now, in front of the Weasleys… it was not the place. I didn't know if there was going to be a place.

"Why don't we head down there?" Harry asked, trying to diffuse the attention from Ginny and Molly's argument. I liked the distraction, though. I was fairly sure that Ginny was going to lose though.

When I didn't follow him, Harry reached out to touch my shoulder and I flinched.

"Sorry," he mumbled, but I followed them and half the Weasley clan out.

Just as we were at the doorway between this little reprieve from chaos and the rest of the school, Harry froze and used the marble arch to hold himself up.

"Harry," I hissed, not wanting to attract attention from the Weasleys. "What's going on?"

After just a moment, he shook his head and his eyes seemed focused again. "We need to get to the Great Hall," he said, quickly. "Now."

Down there, it was pretty much chaos. The underage students were mostly on their way out, evacuating and going to the safest place possible: Hogsmeade. I recognized some of them, faintly, but didn't say hello to anyone. It was very strange to be back at Hogwarts, in the Great Hall. I had longed to be here for so much of the last year, it was strange to finally be here. I had wanted a meal made by the house elves and the water pressure and the familiar smell of the Potions classroom...

I stuck with Adam, mostly, not wanting to get lost in the Weasleys. Hermione and Ron were nowhere to be found, but of course Harry was staying close.

I was so conflicted about him. Now seemed like it might have been a good time to talk with him, if I wanted. One last chance. Once we split up from here, who knew what would happen?

I looked up at him, and found that he and Adam were chuckling about something, and found myself being angry. What could they possibly be laughing about? I tried to focus on what they were talking about.

"I'm going to send you to help fortify the castle," Harry was explaining to Adam. "And I'd like you to take Kat with you. She's not so quick with her spells, I don't want her to be sent out to duel because I don't want her to get hurt."

"I'm better than you think I am," I said, finding my voice before really thinking it through. "Better than I used to be, that's for certain."

He looked a little shocked that I had spoken up. "Yeah, you are, Kat," he said. "You're a lot better than you used to be."

"I learned a lot of spells for safety wards on the run, Kat. I'm sure you could show me a few." Adam said.

I felt very placated. I was here to fight, not to set up safety spells and watch others get attacked. I was a better dueler than Adam, that was for certain.

Suddenly, the hall was quiet. I knew that most of the students had gone, just those that wanted to fight remained, but it was weird. The silence almost pressed up against me.

"Give me Harry Potter," said Voldemort's voice, "and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you should be rewarded. You have until midnight."

Then, more silence. The hair on the back of my neck stood up at the sound of Voldemort's voice. I wasn't quite sure there was any air in my lungs to breath as the shock of hearing it reverberate off the walls filled me with shock. Everyone in the hall was looking toward Harry.

"Potter," finally, Professor McGonagall broke the silence. "Aren't you supposed to be looking for something?"

"Uh… yeah!" he said, turning away from the onlookers and walking out of the hall.

I guess it wasn't meant to be. I wasn't going to talk to him, and I guessed that was maybe for the best. I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to say. But Harry was gone, and I didn't know when I'd see him again.

It wasn't long until Fred, George, Lee Jordan, Hannah Abbot, Adam, and I were off to set up some protective wards on the castle. I followed them, trudging up the stairs and getting to work. I felt better about things when I could distract myself by putting up wards. It made me feel productive and took my mind off the situation with Harry.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Adam work. His form was poor and while he knew some good spells, I wasn't sure he was doing them totally correctly.

I hoped that _he_ wouldn't have to duel anyone tonight.

Time passed weird in the corridor, as anxiety started to hit me like waves. I tried to focus on the task at hand, but it was hard… we had worked our way down the third floor hallway. The paintings across the hall wanted to chat with us. Fred and George humored them a bit.

Harry's Point of View

After I had gotten the information that I needed from Helena Ravenclaw, I knew where I needed to go, but I had a stop to make first.

Seeing Kat again after being away from her was a difficult experience. In the past few days, I had come to realize how terrible I had been to her at Shell Cottage. Seeing her hurt at Malfoy Manor had absolutely shaken me to my core, and I had pushed her away because I thought it would help keep her safe.

I could see now that my plan had worked terribly. She just looked so hollow. She flinched when I tried to touch her.

I didn't know what was going to happen to her tonight. I knew I would not see morning, but I didn't want to leave her thinking that I had done what I had because I didn't care about her.

I did what I did because I loved her.

I passed a group of people fortifying the other end of the third floor, in the Charms Corridor, and asked that one of them, a seventh year that I hardly recognized, ask Kat to go to the Clock Tower to meet a group to go work on some potions. Then, I quickly made my way to the Clock Tower to wait for her.

Kat's Point of View

"Harry?" I asked, stunned to see him waiting in the Clock I had been directed to. He was at the window, watching something outside. I wagered I didn't want to know what he was grimacing at.

"Kat," he said, slowly, turning around to look at me. "Hey."

"I don't think I'm in the right place," I explained, honestly confused as to what he was doing here.

"No, you are," he said, walking towards me. "I sent for you. I wanted to see you."

"Oh," was all I could manage in my stupor. I blushed and looked at my feet. Harry had acted so strangely towards me both after Malfoy Manor and today… I couldn't quite wrap my head around the fact that he was both initiating conversation and looking me in the eyes.

At this point, he had managed to close the distance between us. I didn't know how to act, watching his hand scrutinously as he brought it up to cup my face. I moved backwards, out of instinct, unfamiliar with the idea of him touching me.

"I guess I deserve that," he said, taking a step back and running his fingers through the scraggly hair on the back of his head. Somewhere in the distance, we could hear screams, though neither of us gave it any notice. "Look, Kat."

"What, Harry?" I asked, finding my voice. I felt so many emotions, a giant mix of very hurt, blind rage, and utter confusion surged through me. I balled my fists at my side so tightly my knuckles were white. "What could you have to say to me, now?"

"I love you, Kat," he said. "I really do. I've never told someone that before, you know."

My heart swelled at the same time my brain wanted him to shut up and go away. I didn't really have anything to say back just yet, I really wanted to see what else he had to say first.

"And I know, I've done an awful terrible job of showing you that I love you. I was a prat, a giant prick, believe me, I know. But I wasn't upset with you… I was upset with me. I had fallen for you out of no where, you weren't part of the plan. I hadn't planned to do this terrible journey with someone I cared for like I cared- care, for you. I don't like watching my friends get hurt, but it's even worse watching you get hurt and knowing I should be protecting you. Listening to your screams of terror that day at Malfoy Manor was my version of hell… to hear you be violated like that, and to be the reason you're in that position. Your screams still haunt my dreams, Kat."

I felt a little bit sick, but also intrigued. I _needed_ to hear what he was saying. I felt a little bit lighter than I had upon walking in already.

"I thought that the only way to fix my actions in that situation was to distance myself from you. If we weren't close, you'd be less likely to get in harm's way in the future. And I know that it was wildly unfair to you… but it made sense in my mind at the time. I didn't think you were dirty or unclean or any of that- far from it. I just wanted you to be as normal as possible after the attack. I realize how selfish that was, it was really just totally unfair to you. You had never really signed up for this, you were just thrust into it, but you did so well. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you, Kat. Having you on the journey with me was such an unexpected source of happiness. You made me laugh, you made me happy, and most of all, you cared so deeply for me when I didn't deserve it. I feel so lucky to have gotten to experience love with you before everything that will happen tonight."

My breath hitched in my throat and I felt tears filling my eyes, but I tried to blink them away as as quickly as I could. I didn't want to cry right now, but I didn't want to lose him.

"Oh," he said, though I could tell he wasn't sure what to do. Harry never was great with crying girls, and I let out a small, watery chuckle. "I'll just…"

He put his arms around me, very slowly to give me a chance to back out. I didn't- I wanted to take in every ounce of him while he was here with me and I could feel his hot breath on my neck. I turned into the embrace, putting my head on his chest.

"I didn't mean to make you cry," he said, stroking my hair.

"Shh…" I shushed him, just needing a moment. I took a few deep breaths.

Once I had managed the tears in my eyes, I looked back up at him, his bright green eyes dark with something I couldn't identify.

"So I was wondering if maybe you could find it somewhere in your heart to forgive me?"

"Harry Potter, you absolute git," I said, and leaned up to kiss him, fresh tears in my eyes. I closed my eyes for a second and lost myself in the embrace. The way his lips tasted, the feel of his scraggly hair against my cheek, his exhale grazing my face. I wanted to stay in this empty classroom snogging him forever. "I love you too."

It may have been a few minutes or half an hour later when he finally pulled away from me, a small grin on his face. Then, we heard more screams from outside and couldn't ignore them this time. He cupped my face with his hands and looked me in the eyes. "I want you to be as safe as possible out there tonight," he said.

"Of course," I said quietly, looking up at him. I didn't want us to leave the classroom, because I didn't know what was going to happen. He didn't seem very optimistic about what was going to happen but I didn't dwell on it because it made me feel sick. Stepping foot beyond that door made everything real again. "You too."

I hugged him tight again, practically sure that I was hurting him with how tightly my arms were wrapped around him. He pulled away first and moved towards the door. I took a deep breath and felt much, much better than I had when I walked in the door.

**Author's Note: *waives meekly* Hiiiii guys. I'm really bad at updating this! I really do apologize. Being an English major is mildly soul sucking when it comes to wanting to write any more outside of class, but I managed to scrounge up some energy. If there's anyone left out there, please enjoy and let me know what you think :)**


	42. Chapter 41

I watched him walk away, my body cooling from his warm embrace. I needed a moment for my eyes to feel less wet and my heart to feel less fragile. I'd felt it before, but now, as a battle was about to erupt around us, I truly wondered if I really would see Harry again. Alive.

I knew that I couldn't stay here very long. I belonged out there, fortifying and fighting. I would be as safe as possible, but I would make Harry proud tonight. I took one more breath of cool fresh air, and left the clock tower.

I rejoined my group of people in the third floor corridor, where they were gathered around a window, staring at the ground below.

"What's going on, Adam?" I asked, placing my hand on his shoulder.

He turned around, and looked a little startled to see me. "I thought you were going to make potions," he said, quietly.

"Change of plans."

He moved aside so I could see exactly what they were all so fixated on. Down below, on the bridge into the castle, stood a large crowd of people. Death Eaters. Here to fight.

My stomach sank and the reality of this night kicked in. This battle was what the last nine months of my life had been leading up to, and I was about to come wand to wand with the most evil witches and wizards.

We watched as they dismantled all the protective charms of the entrance in just minutes, and started to storm the castle.

"Wouldn't we be more useful down there, fighting them off the entrance?" Hannah Abbott asked.

"No," one of the Weasley twins answered. "There's people down there for a reason. Plus, now the wards are down, no entrance is safe."

So we waited. It wasn't long until we could hear the commotion from downstairs. Shouted curses, screams of pain, clanking from the suits of armor that had come alive in our defense. It was eerily quiet in our hallway, but it was coming.

Death Eaters made it up the stairs, and we began to fight them off.

"_Expeliarmus_!"

"_Locomotor Mortis!"_

"_Impedimenta_!"

It was a flurry of spells around me, as I began to fight with someone I did not recognize. She was short and round, but quick with her wand. She rapid-fired as many damaging spells at me as possible, most of which I managed to evade. A stinging hex grazed the back of my neck, which brought tears to my eyes. I furiously tried to blink them away knowing that any weakness on my end would allow her to overtake me.

"STUPIFY!" I yelled, and watched her topple over to the floor. I took a deep breath, wiped away the tears clinging to my eyes, and went to find someone else to disarm.

As soon as I turned around, the air around us exploded. I was thrown backwards, hitting a wall hard. I dropped the ground on my hands and knees, unable to see a thing. The absolute pain I was in forced me to the ground, to close my eyes for a moment. Was there even a castle below me anymore? Was the battle over? The world had surely ended.

Except a minute later, I heard the groans and screams of those around me. I blinked quickly, and found the air very dusty and harsh against my eyes. . My ears rang from the loud burst, and I couldn't bring myself to imagine what had just happened. Nothing good.

I blinked again, as the dust started to clear I could make out shapes and the sound of someone's wailing. Against my body's protests, I got up and headed towards the group of people gathering. A column had fallen, and I saw Fred Weasley, pinned under it. His eyes were glassy and frozen.

He was gone. My stomach turned- our first loss.

My eyes moved upward, to the body next to him. Adam lay there, moaning in pain. His legs were crushed by the falling column, and I rushed to him.

"I'm here," I said, through the tears in my eyes. Adam couldn't die. He couldn't. I wouldn't let him.

His eyes tried to focus on my face, but then he turned his head to the side and threw up. I rubbed his hair, and tried to say soothing things. "Just hang on, Adam. You're okay. You'll be okay. Just hang on. I'll get you some pain potion and you'll feel much better."

"Kat," he managed. "This is it for me."

"Don't you say that, you git," I scolded him.

"Please leave me and go on," he said, his voice quiet and hoarse. I could hear the fighting resuming behind me and paid it no attention. "Please."

"Kat, you need to get up," a familiar voice urged me. I turned around to see Harry, pulling at my arms. "Another round of Death Eaters is coming."

"I can't leave him here," I cried, gazing down at Adam's face.

"You can't do anything for him right now," he said. "You're being stupid. Let's GO!"

"He's right," Adam managed. "Please leave me."

"I can't." I said, tears falling down my face at an alarming pace. "I need to get him to safety."

Harry used his wand to lift the piece of the column that was crushing Adam. This movement brought on a new wave of painful noises from him, but I picked him up under one of his arms and Harry grabbed the other side. I followed Harry to a tapestry down the hallway.

"You have to leave him here, Kat. You can come back for him later," Harry said, lifting the tapestry so I could put Adam behind it.

Adam's eyes were unfocused and darting around, while pained, throaty noises filled the air. I leaned down, put a silencing charm on him, and squeezed his hand, before replacing the tapestry and moving on.

"You can't afford to be stupid out there, Kat," Harry said, lecturing me as we rejoined the group. "People are going to die tonight. People that you care about. So if you want to not get killed- and you gave someone ample time to kill you kneeling over Adam like that, you best be aware of your surroundings."

I knew he was right, so I couldn't say anything at all. I had been stupid and it couldn't happen again. I struggled to keep up with Harry's quick pace as he strode down the corridor, towards an invasion of disgustingly huge spiders. The spiders were the size of a Muggle car, and they had taken advantage of the hole the explosion had blown through the wall to start invading.

"Stupify!" "STUPIFY!" "Stupify!"

Three of us shot spells at them in rapid fire, and they toppled backwards out the window from which they came. At that point, Harry grabbed both Hermione and me and pushed us forward, Ron at his heels. The Death Eaters had returned. The Weasleys scrambled to conceal Fred, so they may come back for his body later. For now, we had to regroup, and soldier on.

Harry pushed us into an alcove, and pulled a tapestry over the entrance.

"You NEED to calm down, Ron," Hermione said, using her hands to push his shoulders against the wall. He was shaking- from grief, from anger. In that moment, I was happy that Harry's earlier comments had pushed me into numbness. For now.

"I want to fight! I want to go out there and fight the Death Eaters! I need to!" he spit, resisting her.

"We are the only ones that can end this," Harry said. "Let's not lose sight of what we are here to do."

Ron stopped fighting against Hermione, and took a deep breath. "All right. What's the plan?"

"You have to get to the snake. To kill it," I spoke, for the first time. In some ways, I felt like I shouldn't have been here. We had gone our separate ways when they had gone on to Gringott's without me. But we were fighting for the same cause. They were my friends. My best friends, and we were still in this together.

"Yes," Hermione said. "And Voldemort will have the snake- he won't be letting it out of his sight, that's for certain. He wants you to go to the snake, so that he will have you. Get in his head, Harry, and find out where he is."

I looked at Harry's face, as his eyes shut and instantly looked as though he was miles away. I watched his face twitch, almost as if he was dreaming, though it looked like a peaceless dream. I wondered what he saw. It was silent, so silent, in the space we occupied, as all of our eyes were fixated on Harry. Far away, we could hear the screams, triumphs, and losses of battle.

A minute went by. Two. Three.

Finally, after what felt like hours, his eyes opened again.

"Voldemort is in the Shrieking Shack," he said. "He thinks I will come to him."

"He's not even FIGHTING?" Hermione asked, anger built in her voice.

"He doesn't think I need to," he explained.

"So obviously," Ron began, "You can't go to him. That's what he expects, that's what he wants. So how about I go and-"

"No," we all said at once.

The tapestry surrounding us was ripped away to reveal two masked Death Eaters standing there.

"Why hello, Potter-"

"Glisseo!" I shouted, first to my wand for once. The stairs below their feet gave way to a slippery ramp, and I watched as the slid on the their stomachs down it. I felt pleased with myself as the anger on their faces grew.

However, the spell grew and I found the ground beneath our feet becoming slippery and we began to fall as well. Hermione shot spell after spell at the Death Eaters around us, as they continued to miss us.

"Get under the cloak!" I shouted at Harry, as we found ourselves barreling toward the center of the fighting. "Don't worry about us, you need to get. under. the. cloak."

Harry pulled it out, and tried to throw it over the four of us. At the last second, I got pulled away, and found myself face to face with Fenrir Greyback.

"I wasn't done with you," he growled into my face. For a second I was frozen. I was in shock that I had gotten seperated from Harry, Ron, and Hermione and didn't think I'd be able to find my way back to them. I was also terrified of the man standing in front of me.

Before I could put too much thought into it, instinct took over and I grabbed for my wand. "Stupify!" I yelled, and he flew out the glass window behind him.

"Ah!" I said, to no one in particular. I was proud of my work.

I looked down the staircase in front of me, towards the chaos. Did I see anything that gave them away, under the cloak? Ron's foot, an arm? Something caught on top of them, in the flying rubble?

I could see nothing. They were gone.

**Author's Note: My 2015 resolution is to finish this story. Hopefully, I still have some faithful readers out there (please stop by in the reviews, I'd love to catch up and thank you for your support!). Thank you to anyone who has messaged me during my hiatus and asked for updates- it means the world. Thanks, all.**


	43. Chapter 42

It took only seconds to realize that even though I wasn't going to be able to help them, I could fight here. I would have to, to stay alive.

The back of my neck still tingled as a result of the Stinging Curse that had hit it earlier. Curses flew around me, beams of blue and red flying about, hitting portraits, causing marble columns to come crashing to the ground. I couldn't stop and watch the destruction around me.

A masked Death Eater chose me as it's target, and I found myself engaging in battle with him. He certainly wasn't their first line of defense, and I was doing a pretty good job of keeping him on his toes.

He ducked behind the bust of a wizard I didn't recognize to dodge a spell, but I blew the bust up, showering both of us in dust and chunks of marble. I could see blood falling from his now broken nose.

"_Colloshoo!" _he shouted through the blood dribbling over his mouth, and I found my feet glued to the floor. No matter how I twisted or turned my feet, they weren't coming up from the ground.

"Fuck," I shouted, without enough time and agility to free my feet from my laced up sneakers. If I bent down to untie my laces, I was effectively leaving myself a defenseless target. But I couldn't stay glued in one spot.

He walked toward me, a look of intent in his eyes, and I felt my blood pounding in my head.

"_CONFRINGO!" _a voice yelled from behind me, and the man was blasted up and backwards, into the stone wall behind him. He slumped downward, his head to the side, eyes closed. No longer a threat.

I turned, to the best of my ability, to see my big brother standing next to me.

"ROB!" I cried, so relieved for so many reasons. "Thank you, thank you-"

"What are big brothers for?" he asked, smiling at me. He lazily waved his wand to undo my laces, and I stepped out of my sneakers. "Now, come on, let's go."

He grabbed my arm and pulled me away, out of the Great Hall. I wasn't sure where we were going, but I trusted him. We made it about halfway down the hallway, when a booming voice stopped everyone in their tracks.

"You have fought," said the high, cold voice that sent shivers down my spine, "valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery. Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste. Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat immediately. You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured."

Had Harry gotten to Voldemort? Was he still alive? What was prompting this retreat? I wondered about the state of my friends, and I thought of Adam, sitting upstairs on the third floor hallway, and hoped he was still alive. He was the only one I could easily get to, and I had to go there and see him.

"I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman, and child who has tried to conceal you from me. One hour."

The thought of Harry approaching Voldemort like that made my stomach turn, so I had to dismiss it from my mind. It was the only option right now.

Around us, there was a flurry of activity as people moved to care for the injured and dead.

"Adam's on the third floor, badly hurt," I said to Rob. "I tucked him behind a tapestry to keep people away from him but I have no idea what kind of condition he'll be in."

"Lead the way," he said, nodding. I desperately wanted to catch up with him, ask him what he had been up to, if he had heard from Dad- but now was not the time and we both knew that. I'm sure he had a thousand questions for me too. "Your dueling has gotten a lot better, Kat."

"I still needed you to get me out a sticky situation," I said.

He shrugged. "Can't exactly base it all on such a high pressure situation like this."

When we got to the third floor, I about sprinted to the tapestry where Adam was waited. I lifted it up, and couldn't immediately tell if he was still alive. I removed the silencing charm, and bent down.

"Adam?" I asked.

His eyes fluttered open. "You're awful stupid, Kat," he breathed, shaking his head slightly.

"Shut up," I said, angered by his anger. "There's been a retreat. I'm going to get you some Pain Potion and we'll see about fixing you up."

"Kat," Rob said softly, gazing at Adam. "I don't think there's much-"

"Help me move him," I pleaded. We gently carried him downstairs to the Great Hall, which had become the gathering place. Rob set him down on a bench and it was very clear he wasn't going to make it. He couldn't move his legs, they were laying at a weird angle. His entire pelvis looked crushed and swollen at the same time. His eyes fluttered up and down.

Madame Pomfrey was tending to who she could, giving out Pain Potion and healing broken bones. I got a Pain Potion from her and held his head up while I poured it down his throat.

"You're gonna be okay," I told him, holding in the tears. I sat next to him, holding his hand and trying to say soothing things. I ran my hand through his hair.

He looked like he was trying to say something, but his raspy voice couldn't really form words. I was sure the pain he was in, and the pain potion too, weren't helping. I just wanted him to be comfortable.

"I love you," I whispered to him. I knew he heard me because his eyes opened and he nodded. "Thank you for everything you gave me, Adam."

He started coughing up blood and Rob rolled him on his side. The blood splashed onto the stone floor… and onto my sock covered feet. The coughing subsided, and I watched as his breathing slowed down. I wondered if there was anything I could do to minimize his pain as his time grew shorter.

"Don't watch this, Kat. Please," Rob pleaded with me, wrapping his arms around me and turning me away. "This isn't what he'd want. This isn't how he would want you to remember him."

He was right, in a way. I thought back to the young man I'd fallen in love with two and a half years ago. The Adam that could always make me laugh, who I dreamed of having a future with. The apartment we were going to share in Diagon Alley. Days of watching him play Quidditch professionally. Those dreams had long since faded...

While life had pulled us in two separate directions and I had moved on, he was the first boy I loved and I would always love him. I felt guilt, knowing if he hadn't been associated with me then he wouldn't have had to spend his last year in hiding. I had robbed him of the last year of his life.

I pulled away from Rob and kneeled beside Adam, holding his hand tightly. His chest rose twice more, before falling for the last time.

My sobs in the Great Hall were not alone. Many people were mourning their lost friends and loved ones. But I knelt there, my head on Adam's still warm chest, and let the tears flow freely. He was a good person, and he was gone.

Rob stood beside me, his hand placed gently on my shoulder to remind me of his presence. After a few moments, the sobs racking my body stopped producing tears. I took a moment to collect myself, then stood up.

I zeroed in on Ron and Hermione, mourning across the Hall with the Weasley family. I looked around, but didn't see the black haired boy I was looking for. When they saw me, they both walked toward me, and we met in the middle.

"Snape's dead," Hermione said.

"Where's Harry?"

"I think he went to Dumbledore's office," Ron answered.

"Is the snake dead?"

"Not yet."

"Kat, where are you going-?" Rob asked, trying to catch up with me. "You should really stay here."

"I have to go do something," I said. "I promise it's important."

"Please don't leave," he asked. "I'm begging you."

"It's something I need to do, Rob. Please trust me."

I could see the conflict on his face. He only wanted to keep me safe, and I knew that. But I knew that there truly wasn't keeping _anyone_ safe right now.

"I have something to ask of you," I said. "You're a Gryffindor. Should the Sword of Gryffindor appear to you, or anyone- get it to Ron or Hermione or me. We know what to do with it."

"What does that mean, Kat?" he asked.

"I'll explain later," I promised, walking backward in the direction of Dumbledore's office. I ran up to the third floor to the tower where I knew it was. I was lucky enough to have never been there before, but I had a general idea of where it was.

I had seen the castle this empty exactly once. Sixth year, while I was accompanying Adam on his Prefect rounds in the middle of the night. But somehow, tonight was different. None of the portraits were in their frames. There was not a single ghost to be found. Everything was eerily quiet in the dark hours of this terrible night.

A gargoyle met me at the entrance of the tower, and I hesitated when I realized I didn't have a password for him. He looked me up and down. I'm sure I was a sight to behold. No shoes, only bloody socks on my feet. My pants were torn and the rest of me was covered in the fine layer of dust caused by all the explosions of stone that had happened around me tonight. Then, he slowly revealed the first step of the staircase, a width just big enough for me to climb up.

I kept my wand up, because I really didn't know what I was going to find. As I came to the top of the stairwell, I saw a round room in front of me. There were probably a million books, trinkets, and portraits on the walls, but there was only one thing I was looking for now.

I found Harry laying on the carpet, staring at the ceiling. He was next to a Penseive, wand clutched tightly in one hand. His eyes were shiny behind his glasses.

He didn't acknowledge my presence, but I found myself laying down next to him. The carpet was dusty and smelled like an antique shop.

"Hi," I said, quietly. I stared up at the ceiling, trying to decide what he was looking at.

"Hi, Kat," he murmured. I waited to see if he had anything he wanted to share with me, and glanced softly in his direction. "I'm sorry about Adam."

"Me too," I agreed.

Another moment of silence passed. I both wanted to know why there were unshed tears in his eyes, and knew, in my heart, already.

"You're going to die tonight, aren't you?" the words were out of my mouth before I truly had thought them through.

He nodded, and squeezed his eyes shut. A few tears leaked out despite this, and I put my arms around him. "I'm the seventh Horcrux."

"Well," I said. I had no clue exactly what to say to him, and just continued to hold tightly to his body.

"I was never going to live through this," he said. "The length of my life has always been determined by how long it took us to destroy the Horcruxes."

"Good thing we weren't very quick about it, then," I said. He made a noise- almost like a chuckle, and I let my lips turn up in the smallest of smiles. "Because then I wouldn't have gotten to know how great it is to love you."

He shut his eyes and nodded. "It was so great, Kat," he said.

I couldn't envision what a real future would have looked like for the two of us, with such a roadblock in front of us this entire time. But that didn't mean I hadn't dreamed of summer vacations to the coast and lazy Sunday mornings and…

Well, it didn't matter now.

We lay there in silence for a few moments, aware of our entanglement and the events that would follow what felt like a frozen moment. I There was no way in the hell we were living that I was ever going to initiate us getting up. leaned down and kissed him, his dry, chapped lips tasting of dust.

Eventually, he pulled away. "I suppose it's time," he murmured.

I stood up first, and gave him a hand up. He stood next to me and nodded. "Well…"

"Can I walk you down there?" I asked. "Please?"

I could tell that he didn't want to bring me closer to Voldemort than he had to. But he wasn't exactly in the place to argue with me either. "When I tell you to run, you take the Invisibility Cloak back with you and you run. No exception."

I nodded, and grabbed his hand. He threw the Cloak over us, and we began our journey to the Forbidden Forrest.

**Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter! I really appreciate that there are still people around after all this time :) Here's the next chapter- please let me know what you think! This is unbetaed, so any mistakes are my own. Thanks for your support, and as always, reviews are appreciated!**


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